


Clueless

by letsjusttry



Category: South Park
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Anal Sex, Hidden Relationship, Internalized Homophobia, Jealousy, M/M, Minor Injuries, Underage Drinking, Underage Smoking, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:26:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 84,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23828311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/letsjusttry/pseuds/letsjusttry
Summary: Stan has been dating Wendy on and off all these years.Kyle has always been in love with his best friend but determined to never tell him, hiding from everyone that he's gay.When David convinces Kyle to be together in secret and Stan finds out about them, he starts seeing Kyle in a whole new light.
Relationships: Craig Tucker/Tweek Tweak, Kyle Broflovski/David Rodriguez, Kyle Broflovski/Stan Marsh
Comments: 272
Kudos: 272





	1. Preamble

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here we go.
> 
> WARNING, I haven't written anything in about 10 years, and this is my first time writing in English, which is my third language. Please feel free to correct or suggest anything that comes to mind!
> 
> There is not enough Kyvid in the world, but I love Style and that's the ultimate goal for this.  
> This is 100% self-indulgence, and probably not that good but I thought, why not put it in here.  
> If someone is bored enough to read this, I hope they're at least a bit entertained.
> 
> Also, I'm not and I've never been to the USA so there are things I don't know much about some things, like SAT classes. Or the imperial system.
> 
> That said, enjoy :)

Not much had changed for the South Park youth over the years. Although they were lucky enough that most of their grade got along with one another, there were certain separations, but they had become a lot more mixed than when they were kids. Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny were still one solid group although Cartman kept hanging out with Butters a lot, Kenny tagging along most of the time to protect the smaller blonde, still tragically gullible. 

When he wasn’t with Stan and Kyle or watching over Butters, he was hanging out with Craig, their fondness for weed bringing them together. That caused Kyle and Tweek to become good friends, normally being together when Craig and Kenny met and Stan was spending time with Wendy, who he had been intermittently dating throughout middle and high school.

Craig’s current best friend though was David, who had integrated into his group when they were kids and had had so much fun while playing ninja, until he accidentally got shot at least, mostly due to their shared love for cute little boys. Together they could go to places that Craig couldn’t share with Clyde, Token, or Jimmy. Places like Ruffians, the town’s gay bar. David and Kyle had also become and remained close friends from the beginning, both being in the school’s basketball team helping that friendship along. Their links with Craig and Tweek respectively also made it convenient for the four of them to hang out together many times.

The girls were also still one solid group too, although some were together more than others. The most popular ones being Wendy and Bebe, that normally hang out with Red, Nichole, or Heidi, that after her Cartman phase when they were kids, and after a lot of physical and mental work, had gotten her life back together. Right now, all of them were heading towards the yard for recess, heavily covered by their coats to combat the cold of that winter morning, the time somewhere in mid-January.

As they all gathered on the patch of grass where their grade spent their breaks, Stan was sitting on the girls’ side busy listening to Wendy as the others chatted away. Token and Clyde were leisurely laying on the grass, discussing some TV show they had watched the previous night. Kenny was trying to stop Butters from eating some kind of ball Cartman was handing to him. Kyle was sitting between David and Tweek, asking the blond about Craig's absence that day. Tweek glanced at Stan surprised that he and Kyle weren’t sitting together. The black-haired boy noticed this and winked at him with a seductive smile, Tweek’s face going red as he turned away. He knew Stan did this only to piss off Craig, but it still got him every time.

“Oh, he had a dentist appointment. He texted me a while ago saying he was coming. Look, there he is!”

Craig appeared in that moment, hand on his cheek but an expression of happiness on his face.

“Hey! Ouch,” he smiled widely for a second before grimacing in pain, sitting at Tweek’s other side. The blond put his arms around the other boy’s neck.  
“You okay?”  
“Yes honey, I’ll be fine.” The black-haired boy relaxed under Tweek’s touch, who was caressing his unswollen cheek and lovingly kissing his temple. “My birthday is two weeks from now! And guess what?”  
“What?” asked Tweek with an amused smile.  
“My boy Token over there has offered his house for the party! Thanks, man.”

Token raised his hand with a grin, that wasn’t really a surprise. Tweek smiled at him feeling a bit bad, Token’s house was often the location to their parties since he had the biggest house and his father was pretty permissive since Token caught him in an affair with his secretary. Mr. Black was more than willing to take his wife for a weekend away and let Token do whatever he wanted with the house as long as he kept quiet and didn’t abuse the deal.

“Ooh, are we invited?” asked Kenny with interest.  
“That’s for Craig to decide but it’s fine to me, everyone is invited. It’s been a while since we had a big party.”

Everyone around cheered, looking forward to a night where worries and inhibitions didn’t exist. All getting excited about the event, they spent the rest of the recess planning the details.

-

That afternoon Kyle and David were sitting on a bench next to the basketball court adjacent to the community center, sipping on their bottles of water after playing for a couple of hours. Butters ran past them screaming his lungs out startling them. Cartman was chasing him in a big, yellow bird costume, Kenny, in turn, chasing Cartman shouting something that sounded like ‘Stop it, fatass!’ muffled by his orange parka.

Both teens followed them with their eyes, confusion written all over their faces.

“Qué…?”  
“Don’t ask, dude. I don’t want to know.”  
“Uh.” David had spent enough years in South Park to know many of the stories that surrounded that particular group of friends. He clearly remembered Craig and Clyde having some pissing contest about if it was worse being taken to Somalia or Peru. “Things like that are not even weird, uh?”  
“Not really.” Kyle sighed and got up, starting to walk home. David hung his own bag on his shoulder, walking next to him “This town is just ridiculous sometimes.”  
“Yeah, I’ve noticed. You guys have gone through a lot of shit together, no wonder there are all those bottled feelings.”  
“What do you mean?” the Jew stopped and turned towards him with a questioning look.  
“Eh…” David seemed to panic for a second. Butters, Cartman, and Kenny running past them again, this time in the opposite direction. “Cartman! Cartman, of course, he obviously has a thing for you.”  
“What are you talking about, he hates me because I’m a Jew.”  
“Does he though?” said David starting to walk again, happy to have avoided the conversation going to Stan.  
“Yes?” Kyle replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Do you have any idea about all the shit he has done to me over the years? Not just to me, but seriously.”  
“He’s a bigoted asshole, I won’t deny that. But he’s also… not very mature. Think about it, what do little boys do when they like a girl? They say mean things or pull on their hair, shit like that. But he also saved your life, didn’t he? I’m just saying, it’s weird that every time you showed interest in a girl, Cartman always seems to be the reason why it didn’t work.”  
“Yeah, I guess” Kyle shuddered not even wanting to consider it “Listen, Eric Cartman loves one person and one person only. Himself. So shut up, the mere idea is… ugh,” They arrived at Kyle’s house, the redhead going straight for the door.  
“Understandable” replied David with a chuckle “Just… remember that there are more people interested in you that the ones in your little group.”  
“O… kay…?”  
“Anyway, see you tomorrow!” David waved at him and hurried down the street before the redhead could question him about what he just said, feeling Kyle’s eyes follow him.

The moment was a bit weird but Kyle didn’t dwell on it, going into his house and ruffling Ike’s hair on his way to his room, more than ready for a shower. The rest of his week was pretty normal, his routine kept him pretty busy. After school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays he had SAT classes, Tuesdays, and Thursdays he had basketball practice. He was too short to ever go professional standing at 5’2’’, but he was fast and agile, enough to make it into the high school's team. He had developed a play with David that allowed them to score fairly often. Kyle would steal the ball and zig-zag his way between the other team’s players while David positioned himself at the three-point line, ready to receive and shoot.

On Sunday Stan texted him asking if he could pick him up to go Stark’s Pond, which made Kyle think something was wrong. That was their go-to place for serious talks. Kyle immediately said yes, of course.

They were now arriving at the Pond, Kyle suspiciously eyeing Stan’s happy face. Every time they went there alone it was because one of them wasn’t feeling too good, but the black-haired boy looked too relaxed. They got out of the car and headed towards the water, laying on their rock. For a while neither of them talked, just lying there enjoying each other’s company. Kyle wanted to wait until Stan was ready to talk but when he glanced towards his best friends he was just lying there, smiling with his eyes closed he decided to break the silence.

“Um… dude?” He asked cautiously. “What happened?”  
“What? Oh! Oh, yeah.” Stan looked at him, secretly a bit upset he had to bring someone else into their moment. “I argued with Wendy yesterday.”  
“What happened?” asked Kyle, Stan’s words exactly what he expected. “What was it about?”  
“Well…” Stan hesitated for a moment. He remembered Wendy bitching about always ditching her for Kyle, but they hadn’t hung out in a while, so it would sound weird “I don’t know, we argue about a lot of stupid shit lately.”  
“Maybe you guys need a break.”  
“Again?” Stan snorted at the suggestion, Wendy and he had been on and off for years. Contrary to popular belief, it was not only Wendy who decided to take these breaks although for Stan it was easier to just pretend they weren’t together and not spend much time with her than actually break up. “The last break was last summer, remember? It’d be nice if we could stay together for like, a full year before needing a break from each other.”  
“Dude, I need to ask you something. Are you happy with her?”  
“What?” the question caught Stan completely off-guard. “What do you mean?”  
“It’s a simple question, Stan. Do you feel happy when you’re with her?”  
“Well, sure? I mean… I don’t know?”  
“You don’t know.” Kyle turned to face him, putting a hand on his friend’s arm. “Take a second to think about it. Why are you still with her? Is it because you want to or because you’re used to it?”

Stan went deep in thought, not the first time he asked himself that question, considering the reasons that kept him with Wendy. Of course, he wanted to be with Wendy. Right? He had always wanted that. His life had revolved around Wendy so many times. He remembered every painful break-up. He even turned goth for a while, because he was hurting so bad. He remembered feeling jealous and paranoid about Wendy hooking up with Kyle. With his best friend of all people! He thought about the first time that had happened, some stupid project that who was Mrs. Garrison at the time had given them about taking care of an egg. To be fair, he had heard kids at school more than once making stupid comments about how Kyle and Wendy should just ‘fuck and be done with it’.

He knew Kyle would never do that to him though. Wendy would never do that to him. They were both good and loyal people. 

“Dude?” Kyle’s voice snapped him out of it.  
“Mmh? Oh! Yes, em…” Stan closed his eyes trying to remember the question, Kyle had asked if he really wanted to be with Wendy. He honestly didn’t want to think about it, he had done so too much over the past weeks. “I guess. I don’t want to think about her right now. It’s all better now anyway, I promised her more time together so I just wanted to have a little while for ourselves. We barely see each other anymore and it feels like we’re going to even less now.” 

He sighed and turned his body towards his best friend, pulling him into his arms and relaxing into the familiar scent. Kyle said nothing, deciding to also relax into that familiar, comforting warmth. He knew he loved Stan, even if he had to keep it hidden no matter what, and would do anything to make him feel better. He smiled knowing that Stan couldn’t see him and put his arms around the other’s chest. There was nothing wrong with enjoying that little contact for a while, right?

-

The next week went by fast and Craig’s party had finally arrived, music blaring throughout Token’s house. Clyde and Token had attempted to put up some decorations with Tweek’s help, but they were mostly ignored. Most of their grade was there, chatting, dancing, drinking and losing themselves for a night of blissful oblivion.

Stan and Kenny were moving in unison to the music, the girls around them cheering them on, clapping their hands and ‘wooing’ with their fists raised, enjoying the show. Stan was wearing jeans and a white and blue checkered shirt over a white T-shirt, giving him that kind of ‘boy next door’ look that Kyle loved. Kenny was wearing a black and white striped shirt and ripped dark jeans, and the girls seemed to be loving it.

Kyle and Cartman were close by, out of the circle of girls also dancing but completely out of sync. To be fair, Kyle was greatly distracted by the show the other two were putting on as well, but he had never been much of a dancer, to begin with. He suddenly felt an arm around his waist, turning to see Cartman had gotten close, following his gaze to see what Kyle was looking at. He groaned at the sight.

Kenny had grabbed Stan’s hips from behind and had pulled him close to his body, both half-grinding against each other while laughing. The girls screamed louder and Kyle could swear he heard Cartman growl.

“What the hell?! Who do they think they are?”  
“Hot guys?” Kyle replied with a longing sigh, loving the way his best friend was moving “That can dance?”  
“They’re not that hot!”  
“Yeah, dude.” Kyle finally pried his eyes away from the show and looked at Cartman, noticing how close the brunette was still holding him. He finished the drink he was nursing and raised a finger to point at them. “Face it, fatass. They’re the hot ones of the group, that wouldn’t work with us.”  
“We can try” Cartman gave him a twisted smiled, putting his other arm around the redhead as well.  
“Ha, ha, ha. Funny, Cartman. Funny.” Kyle said with his most sarcastic voice, shaking his empty cup. “I need another fucking drink.”

Kyle freed himself from his grasp and moved towards the bar, spotting Craig and Tweek mixing drinks. Tweek smiled at him when he saw him approach, grabbing his empty cup when Kyle extended his arm to him, understanding what he wanted. Cartman watched him go, angrily looking at his dancing friends and practically charging towards them pushing the girls aside.

“Stan! STAN!”

The black-haired boy released Kenny and turned his attention towards the brunette, earning a collective and disappointed ‘Aww’ from the girls around them when he stopped dancing.

“What?”  
“Craig says you’re a pussy!”  
“What?!”  
“Yeah! He says you can’t drink five shots before he does. And your bitch says that if you can’t you’re a PUSSY!”  
“WHAT?!”

Stan finished whatever he had in his cup and gave it to Cartman, who dropped it without a second thought. Stan located Craig and made a beeline to him. When he got there, he challenged him to do 5 shots before him, Cartman following.

Kenny didn’t seem too bothered to be left alone with the girls, his eyes stopping on Red with a wink. Red smiled back at him, raising an eyebrow in a suggestive manner as she took a sip of her drink.

Tweek watched Craig and Stan fill ten shot glasses with the nearest bottle and rolled his eyes, grabbing Kyle’s arm after both of them had their new drinks.

“Should we leave them to their pissing contest and find somewhere to sit?”  
“Yeah, too much testosterone in the air right now.” Agreed Kyle with a nod.  
“Right?”

Tweek laughed and pulled Kyle’s arm towards the kitchen, trying to find a chair or any free surface they could sit on. It didn’t take long to locate Token and David chatting away at the breakfast table once some people moved out of their line of sight, and the blonde smiled seeing they were alone. Token was sitting on one of the chairs with his back to them while David was on the bench against the wall, facing them.

“Hey, gentlemen. Do you mind if we join you?” asked Tweek when approaching them.  
“Not at all, please sit!” David raised his head getting distracted from the conversation, giving Kyle a charming smile when he saw who it was and moved aside to make room for him on the bench, Tweek taking a sit on the chair closer to Kyle.

“Where is Craig?” questioned Token looking around.  
“Drinking with Stan” replied Tweek rolling his eyes. “They want to see who can finish five shots first or something.”

Token laughed shaking his head but Kyle groaned pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Those two, I swear. Do you remember… what was it, Clyde’s birthday last year? They did the same with an entire bottle of… whatever.”  
“Ugh, yes, I remember.” Tweek nodded taking a sip of his drink. “They got so drunk we ended up just rubbing their back while they puked their guts out. Craig was absolutely destroyed the next day.”  
“So was Stan. I spent the day bringing him water while he hid in his bed.” Kyle gulped his drink, wondering if he should stop drinking since he already had a nice buzz going.  
“They do tend to get competitive, don’t they?”

Shortly after Craig arrived at the table, some people raising their cups at him as he walked by. Tweek smiled brightly and opened his arms to his boyfriend. 

“Birthday boy! Come here!”  
“Well, someone’s happy. Are you guys corrupting my boyfriend?” his words came out a bit slurred but he sat down next to Tweek and crashed his lips onto the blonde’s, the kiss turning into a not-so-innocent exchange pretty quickly. Kyle blushed when he saw Craig’s tongue venturing between Tweek’s parted lips when they separated a little, Craig’s hand going up Tweek’s thigh earning a little moan.  
“And that’s my cue to get the hell out of here.” Token got up from the table and excused himself, making his way to his massive living room.  
“Hey, guys! Leave something for the bedroom, yeah?” Kyle frowned as they separated, Tweek giggling while snuggling up to Craig.  
“Sorry, Craig gets real friendly when alcohol is involved.” Said teen ignored his boyfriend’s words, playfully biting his earlobe. “Hold it, babe, we’ll have time for that back home.”  
“Hey, where’s Stan? Who won?” asked Kyle hoping to distract Craig from what he was doing, Kyle would never admit it but watching them was making his temperature rise a little. Craig’s hand was still going up and down Tweek’s thigh but he was looking at him now instead of trying to put his tongue down Tweek’s throat.  
“I did, obviously.”  
“Obviously. My man.” Tweek repeated the word nuzzling Craig’s neck, visibly happy about the hand on his body.  
“He got all angry and wanted a rematch but Wendy snatched him away. He’s over there now.” He went back to kissing with a vague gesture of his hand towards the living area.

Kyle looked in that direction, a couple of Token’s couches visible from where he was sitting. He felt his heart sink in his chest, his smile fading when he saw Stan sitting there with Wendy, his arm around her waist as they chatted with Bebe. He couldn’t help but stare as the couple laughed together, at some point Stan turned towards Wendy and repeatedly kissed her on the lips with a big smile. Wendy giggled and tugged his shirt; Stan cupped her face gently as their kiss deepened. 

Looking at his friend like that, his heart was throbbing painfully with every touch on Wendy’s body. He knew Stan was mostly straight, he knew he loved her, Kyle learned how to deal with that a long time ago, but he still couldn’t help how he felt or the way he reacted sometimes, the alcohol flooding his veins just sinking him lower in his misery.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on the fist he didn’t know he was clenching snapping him out of it, his attention turning towards the person touching him. He saw David’s face, Craig and Tweek too busy with each other to even notice their surroundings anymore. 

“It’s awful, is it not?” David asked in a gentle voice, a sad but understanding smile that Kyle could barely see in the poor light adorning his masculine features.  
“What is?”  
“Unrequited love.”  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The silence that followed was heavy, only accentuated by Craig and Tweek’s making out session next to them. 

“Do you… wanna go outside for some air? I could use a smoke.”  
“Yeah…” Kyle stood up and followed him outside. They walked around the pool, Kyle appreciating the cold.  
“Are you okay?” David asked with a kind voice, glancing at him as he pulled the pack of cigarettes from his pocket.  
“Yes, of course. Why do you ask?”  
“You looked kind of mad when Stan was kissing Wendy. I assume that’s the reason since you were staring at them. Am I wrong? You can tell me if I’m wrong.”

Kyle didn’t respond, avoiding the other’s eyes, letting himself be led towards the side of the house, surprisingly empty. He took a big sip of the drink he was still carrying, David lighting up the cigarette that was now on his lips. No matter how used he was at seeing them together, it didn’t hurt any less. He had never told anyone about those feelings he harbored for Stan, nobody even knew he was gay besides the random guys he had hooked up with from time to time, which he could count with his fingers. He always made sure they weren’t someone he would encounter in his everyday life, preferably not even from town.

David seemed to understand Kyle’s silence, offering him the cigarette that Kyle took after some hesitation. He very rarely smoked, and if he did it was always when someone offered, never his own. They sat down against the side of the building, Kyle letting out the smoke as slowly as he could, feeling it burn his throat. 

“It’s okay, I know it sucks. It feels terrible when the person you love happens to love someone else.”  
“It does…” Kyle answered without thinking, the alcohol boosting his honesty. He and David had been close friends for years, maybe it wasn’t such a terrible idea to share the burden a bit, he knew David wouldn’t go around telling people. He gave the cigarette back, still avoiding his eyes.  
“It really does.” The taller boy took it and inhaled deeply, both watching silently the woods surrounding the house for a few seconds. “How long have you been in love with him?”

Kyle finished what was left of his drink and threw the cup aside, taking back the cigarette that David was offering again. His head was spinning slightly from the booze, intrusive images of Stan and Wendy assaulting his mind.

“My whole life…” Kyle’s voice was small and filled with loneliness, frustration, and the burning desire of not feeling the way he did about his best friend.  
“Damn. That’s an awfully long time.”

They stayed silent for a while, passing the cigarette back and forth between them. Kyle could feel himself slowly relaxing, the warmth from David’s arm touching his comforting in the cold.

“Is that why you’ve never been with anyone?” David broke the silence; his voice could barely be heard above the music that came from the house but Kyle did hear it and frowned at him.  
“I’ve been with people.”  
“I’ve… never seen you dating anyone, I would’ve noticed.”  
“Well, I did say ‘date’. I meant… em…”  
“Oh! Oh…”  
“What? I’m human too, you know? I have needs.”  
“I know, I know, no judging. Who… who have you ‘been with’, so to speak?”

Kyle rolled his eyes finally meeting David’s. 

“I’m not gonna tell you.”  
“Why not?”  
“Because not all gay boys in South Park have come out and it’s not okay for me to do it for the ones I know about.”  
“Oh, come on! You know you can trust me.”  
“I do trust you, still not okay.”  
“Come oon” David turned his body a bit towards Kyle, his voice adopting a playful tone “Who took your flower, Broflovski? You can tell me.”  
“Who took my…?” he laughed loudly, raising an eyebrow at him. “The fuck dude, who talks like that?” 

He could feel his body shivering from the cold, they had been outside for a while now and the temperature was steadily dropping. Maybe it was the chilling air or the alcohol that clouded his mind but he leaned towards the other boy, the earthly cologne David was wearing reaching his senses through the smoke. His cheeks felt hot and he felt dizzy and suddenly David was so much closer. He opened his mouth to say something but a gust of wind washed over them and he turned his head away, sneezing.

“Shit.” 

David smiled and stood up, offering him a hand.

“Maybe we should take this conversation inside.”


	2. Let's do this

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Maguii, ImStuckInTheSouThParkFanDom, styleloverotp and the guests who left kudos, I hope you enjoy this one too <3

Kyle took the hand David was offering and got up, his cheeks blushing a little when the Mexican didn’t release it, leading him inside and crossing the kitchen towards the living room. Kyle wasn’t sure how much time they had spent outside but there were fewer people now, he noticed that Craig and Tweek had vanished. Painfully, he saw that Stan and Wendy were also nowhere to be found. On instinct, he checked his phone and sure enough, there was a text from his friend saying he was leaving with her. As per freaking usual. David went towards the bar and mixed them new drinks, handing one to Kyle.

“So, where were we?”  
“Nowhere,” Kyle whispered looking around trying not to think about what Stan was most likely doing at that very moment. “That’s not a conversation I want to have with people around.”  
“Fair enough.”

David smiled and took his hand again, leading him upstairs. Kyle suddenly felt very nervous at the imagen they were probably giving but he reminded himself that he and David were friends, good friends. Not _best friends_ , not even Kenny reached that position reserved for only Stan as much as he loved the guy, but really good friends. David opened a couple of doors until he found an empty room where they could talk away from curious ears. Kyle stepped inside and recognized it immediately as the office, looking around as David put a chair under the doorknob so it couldn’t be opened from outside. The redhead went towards the desk, leaning against it so he was half-sitting on it as David sat on the chair in front of it. 

“So, I have an idea. Let’s play a game.”  
“I’m listening.” Kyle looked at him with interest, intrigued by the idea.  
“You don’t have to tell who was your first, but I’ll try to guess. If I’m correct about something, you drink. If I’m wrong, I’ll drink.”  
“…Okay, deal.”  
“Alright, it’s on! Let’s see…. He has dark hair.”  
“Bad start.” Kyle chuckled pointing at the cup David was holding. “Drink.”

David did so, trying to think about more things to make Kyle drink.

“He’s blond.” Kyle took a sip of his drink, looking amused. “Freckles on his face?” Kyle took another sip. “Mmh… He’s in our grade.”  
“Well… do you mean like, he’s the same age as us, or specifically our school.”  
“Our school.”  
“Drink.” David took a sip, considering that info.  
“He’s not someone you see often.”  
“God no.” Kyle shook his head with a giggle and took a sip of his drink. He had a loose smile on his face, his inhibitions all but gone.  
“You were bottom.” said David with a matching smile, enjoying the sight. Kyle shook his head.  
“Drink.”  
“What? Are you serious? I could’ve sworn you were a bottom.”  
“DRINK.”  
“Fine, fine.” David did, Kyle giggling again.  
“That was the first and last time I topped, to be honest. He’s so innocent and sweet… no way that guy is topping anyone. The next time I did it I was bottom though, and realized I enjoy that position much more.”  
“Interesting…” David smirked at him, tapping the rim of his glass. “Do I know the guy?”  
“I honestly have no idea.”

David paused going over the information he had so far. It wasn’t someone they normally saw, he didn’t even go to their school, but he deduced that he was at least the same age as them. Blond. Freckles. 

“Can I get a hint?” Kyle tilted his head, thinking about it.  
“Mmh… Terrified of needles?”

David didn’t even have a suspect by that point, convinced that he probably didn’t know the guy since he probably was from out of town. They only had one line of schools so if the guy was from South Park it would be in their class. There was no way he could guess. So, he decided to take another route. He stood up and got close to Kyle, leaving his cup on a corner of the table. The drinks he had and the fact that they were alone in a locked room were spurring his actions now, delighted on the way Kyle’s eyes were following his every move. He was feeling bold, the red tint on Kyle’s cheeks letting him know that he was probably feeling as daring as he was. If he was ever going to make a move on Kyle, it was now. 

He put his hands on the desk at Kyle’s sides, successfully trapping him there.

“He’s cute, I’m sure… but you find me way more attractive.”  
“What?”  
“I said…” David leaned down barely brushing Kyle’s ear with his lips. “I’m hotter than him.” Kyle gasped as David moved so he could look at his eyes, Kyle silently looking him back for a few seconds before bringing the cup to his lips. He drank from it until he finished everything that was left, not breaking eye contact, licking his lips when he was done. David took the cup and threw it on the floor, cupping Kyle’s face with a hand while his other arm went around his waist, pulling his body against his own.

Kyle unconsciously grabbed David’s shirt, the taller boy’s lips against his, not kissing him yet, just teasing. He could feel the heat that emanated from David’s body, the way his hand squeezed his hip as if he wasn’t doing it on purpose. He could feel his own heart beating frantically, his drunken brain trying to cling to the fact that this was David, that this was a _bad idea_. He never did anything with anyone close to him because the risk of people finding out he was gay, skyrocketed. All it took was a bad-timed comment, a smile in the wrong place, a simple touch. So many things could go wrong…

“Kyle…?” David’s soft voice snapped him out of his stupor, now extremely aware of the situation.  
“David… I…”  
“I really want you, Kyle…” his voice was low and husky, pregnant with lust and need, “I want to bend you over this desk and fuck you until you can’t stand.”

Kyle let out a little whine, feeling a tingling sensation run through his body as his mind shut down. He finally gave in to his desires and brought their lips together. David wasted no time to kiss him back, feeling Kyle’s body melt between his arms. He grabbed Kyle’s hips and lifted him sitting him down on the desk. The redhead gasped at the sudden movement but quickly opened his legs to accommodate David between them, their lips wantonly meeting again.

The redhead ran his hands through David’s short hair, the other’s hands slipping beneath Kyle’s shirt and going up his back making him moan into the kiss. David took the chance to slip his tongue in his mouth, deepening the kiss. Kyle’s body felt increasingly hot, and soon he broke the kiss pulling his shirt off, shivering when he saw the hungry look David was giving him, his eyes running up and down his body. He rested his hands on the desk behind himself to support his weight, spreading his legs a little bit wider.

“What now, big boy?”

David bit his lips as his hands squeezed Kyle’s waist, caressing his way up and down the pale boy’s chest. Kyle let out a happy sigh letting his head fall back, gasping when he felt hot lips against his skin. It had been almost a year since he had been with anyone and his body was aching for some intimate contact, every touch on his body making his head spin. David’s hands found his nipples and rubbed them roughly as his mouth traveled down his stomach, Kyle’s shameless moans drowned by the music blaring through the house.

He could feel David unbuttoning his jeans and he raised his hips to help him get them off. He leaned forward, his hands going under David’s shirt as soon as he was close to his body again.

“Feels unfair to be the only one so exposed…”

David laughed and took his shirt off, pulling Kyle close for another kiss. They let their hands explore each other’s bodies, quiet moans muffled in each other’s mouth. Kyle’s body felt like it was on fire, and David shoved everything on the table aside with one arm, pushing gently on Kyle’s chest until he was laying on it. He grabbed the boy’s hips and pulled him towards the edge of the table until his butt was almost hanging off it. He rubbed their hips together seeing the smaller boy arch his back in pleasure, loving the contrast of his tanned hands against Kyle’s pale skin. He brought them down to Kyle’s thighs, scratching the sensitive skin as Kyle’s spread his legs more in response.

Kyle looked at him through half-lidded eyes, filled with unspoken desire. David could see how hard he was inside his boxers and palmed his erection through the thin fabric, Kyle’s groaning while biting his lip. He reached out, his hands going up David’s chest, feeling his toned body beneath his fingers. David smiled but brushed his hands away and pulled his boxers down his legs leaving the boy completely exposed before him. 

He leaned down attaching his lips to those tempting thighs delighted with the way Kyle squirmed, every moan he made when David bit and kissed them going straight to his dick. He moved up until he was next to Kyle’s groin, circling the area but not touching it, feeling the redhead wriggling with eagerness. His mouth left a trail of kisses until he found what he was really after, Kyle’s hands grabbing at his hair as he kissed his clothed erection.

He couldn’t believe he was actually getting what he had wanted for so long, making him wish he had tried earlier. He grabbed Kyle’s underwear and threw it somewhere, his mouth instantly back on him. Kyle gasped again when David circled his around his entrance and pushed his tongue in through the ring of muscle, roughly moving it in and out as he slowly relaxed, back arching against the desk.

Kyle practically sobbed as he felt David tongue-fuck him, his own hands going down his body desperate for some contact. He squeezed his own erection, avidly moving his hand up and down. David stood up and put his middle finger into Kyle’s mouth, the redhead whined as he ran his tongue over it and sucked on it, imagining it was a different part of David’s body. 

David pulled his finger away from Kyle’s mouth and took it to his entrance, circling it for a moment before pushing it in all the way. He groaned stroking his erection above his jeans, Kyle’s heat tightening around his finger making him mad with desire. He fingered the other boy for a few minutes, just enjoying the show of the other jerking himself off. 

“Someone is getting pretty wet down here.” David smirked and Kyle whined in pleasure and longing.  
“Please, tell me you have lube and a condom…”  
“Well, I’ve got a condom…” Kyle groaned as David added another finger, the mix of pain and pleasure making him go insane. “It’s okay, I’m sure they have something around here”.

David pulled away and went around the desk and began opening drawers, Kyle reaching out with his hand to touch David’s body, _any_ part of his body. David chuckled at this, impatiently opening all the drawers until he found hand cream, triumphantly holding it up. 

“Got it.” He went to back the other side, scooping up some cream and licking his lips as he smeared Kyle’s little asshole with it, pushing his finger inside again. He watched Kyle still masturbating, hands going up to grab the edge of the desk next to his head.

Kyle nearly screamed as David added a third finger, trying to spread him as fast as he could at this point. David dropped his jeans and underwear with his free hand, unable to resist the temptation to plunge into the redhead any longer. 

“You ready…?”

“Aha…” Kyle looked at him with a breathy moan, his face begging him to just fuck him already.

David took a condom out of his wallet and put it on, covering himself with cream to try and make it the least painful possible for Kyle, the redhead spreading his legs in anticipation. It had been so long; his body was _craving_ for it. 

He bit his lip when he felt the blunt pressure of David’s cock against his asshole. He gripped the wooden surface of the desk as he felt David finally pushing his way in until he was completely buried in his body. Kyle gasped painfully, his body getting used to being stretched so wide. He was just realizing this but David was fucking big.

He felt David’s hands stroking his body, slowly relaxing him. He had paused his movements to let him get used to it, that little friction feeling so good that was filling his mind with pleasure and pulled him from the music that invaded the house. David pulled out a bit and pushed back in, reveling in the low growls that came from Kyle, who was sprawled out in front of him in all his beautiful glory, gasping as he repeated that movement again. And again. Before he knew it, quiet gasps had turned into panting and he was thrusting into Kyle with all his might, fighting not to come by the sight alone.

Kyle was feeling _incredible_ , every thrust going straight to his brain. He rolled his head back, the music muffling his increasingly loud moans. He sat up and wrapped his arms around David’s neck, his legs resting around the other boy’s hips, his body jumping every time David pushed them forward. He screamed when he felt the Mexican squeezed his dick between them, timing every pump with his thrusts.

“F-Fuck, David…” his moans were getting needy and high-pitched, he could feel his orgasm approaching, pulling David down to kiss him. They couldn’t stay like that by the force of David’s movements, darting their tongues out and playing with each other outside their mouths. David moved his hips and the new angle made him hit something inside his body that made his head fall back, exploding with a scream of pure pleasure. David kept fucking him grunting in Kyle’s ears until he couldn’t hold back anymore, coming deep inside him filling the condom.

They stayed in that position for a few minutes, breathing heavily as they hugged each other. Kyle hummed absent-mindedly, exhaustion from his orgasm quickly taking over his body.

He didn’t realize when he fell asleep but he woke up on the floor, wrapped in David’s body. He panicked for a moment when the memories hit him, the residual sensation making him smile as he got dressed, trying to ignore the pain. He hated leaving the other boy just sleeping naked on the floor but he got dressed, covered him with his jacket, and left, promising himself to not let it affect their friendship. 

-

Kyle was making his way to Stark’s Pond, every breath visible in the cold air. He didn’t know what to expect when David texted him asking to meet him there. It had been a couple of weeks since Craig’s party and they hadn’t talked much. Kenny had asked him about it, used to seeing them interact every day. Of course, the perceptive blond had noticed the new distance between the two boys, with hidden smiles and stolen glances. Stan was on date night with Wendy so he was hanging out with him and Cartman that afternoon when the texts came in, and he left shortly after. Kenny had raised an eyebrow at the blush on his face but had thankfully said nothing, just bid him farewell with a simple “Have fun” and a knowing smile.

He finally arrived at the sign that read “Stark’s Pond”, finding David leaning against it with a cigarette in his mouth, entertaining himself with his phone while waiting for Kyle.

“Hey, dude.” David looked up and smiled when hearing his voice, pocketing his phone.  
“Hey, gorgeous.”

Kyle blushed fiercely but said nothing, walking with the other teen to a nearby bench. He could feel his hands shaking a little, the last time he had been as close to David as he was at the moment was at the party. Kyle had been drunk, enough to throw all his inhibitions put the window but not enough to blackout, he remembered every word David said that night, every touch upon his body, every hard thrust. He could still feel every stroke, so deep inside him.

“S-So… What did you want to talk about?” he said trying to distract his mind from the events of that night.  
“I wanted to talk about what happened at Craig’s party.” Crap. Straight for the kill. “I have thought about it a lot.”  
“You have?”  
“Yeah… We didn’t talk much the day after. We haven’t talked much ever since, really. I miss you.”  
“I miss you too, dude. It’s just… embarrassing.”  
“We can’t just stop talking altogether. People have noticed.”  
“I know… This is why I never do these things with someone I see daily; people can notice this shit.”  
“Do you regret it? Doing it, I mean.”  
“No! No, that’s not what I’m saying. I don’t. It’s just too risky, I guess. And now people can see something happened and…” Kyle huffed looking around nervously with a troubled face. David put a hand on his knee trying to get him to calm down.  
“Hey, hey, relax. Of course two friends that suddenly stopped talking to each other is gonna be noticed by someone. We just need to act normal.” Kyle nodded and took a deep breath.  
“You’re right, you’re right. It’s just that every time I look at you, I remember that night and… well…”

Kyle looked at David seeing a smirk slowly appear on his face and quickly looked away with a blush.

“It’s okay, you just need to not let it show. Especially if it’s gonna happen again.”  
“What? What do you mean by that?” Kyle stared at him raising an eyebrow.  
“When two people have sex and it’s good, they tend to do it again. And it _was_ pretty damn good if I say so myself.”  
“I… David, this can’t… it can’t happen again.”  
“Why not?”  
“Because! People will know! I’m not… I’m not ready to leave the closet, man. I’m just not.”  
“You think I am? I don’t care about what people think but my parents are very religious, gays-are-disgusting-sinners-and-will-go-to-Hell kind of religious, they would totally freak out if they knew. But that is _their_ problem, not mine. And I’m not going to let that stop me from being happy or being with who I want.”  
“I understand, but… look, I’m sure you can find someone else to have sex with, it shouldn’t be a problem for you. You’re hot as fuck.”  
“Goddamnit, Kyle. This is not about sex. It’s about you. About us.”

Kyle opened his mouth but closed it again, not knowing how to answer. David moved a bit closer and took his hand, softly caressing the back with his thumb.

“Kyle, I like you. I really like you. I have for a while. And I can’t hold it back any longer. Every time I look at you, I remember that night too, and it kills me not being able to kiss you and pull you into my arms. I want… I want to be with you. Not just sex, but actually be together.”  
“You mean… like…?”  
“Boyfriends?”  
“Wow. Okay, em…”

Kyle looked at the water of the Pond, unsure of what he was feeling. It was a mix of fear and excitement and he had no idea which one should win. He had been so comfortably hidden in his feelings for Stan all these years, making it impossible for him to like anyone else. He considered the idea, imagining what it would be like to date David, how could he make it work. If he was ever going to do something like that before leaving South Park forever, David was a good choice. They had got along great since they met and they shared interests and hobbies, the obvious physical attraction between the two being a big plus. His mind wandered to Stan. He knew he wouldn’t hesitate for a second or care for the consequences if it was his best friend asking to be more than friends, but it wasn’t.

He also knew, due to some comments made over the years that Stan wasn’t exactly straight as an arrow. Maybe it was that fact that made him want to stay single no matter what, patiently waiting for the moment that Stan would leave Wendy for good and give guys a try. It was a very long shot, but it was the only chance he’d got if he had any at all.

“Kyle?”

David squeezed the hand he was still holding. Kyle looked at him, focusing on his dark brown eyes that were expectantly looking back at him.

“David, I like you, but…”  
“We’ll be careful, I promise. Nobody has to know”.  
“It’s not that…”  
“Is it Stan?” Kyle’s eyes widened a bit and David smiled sadly, knowing now for sure what was troubling the redhead “Is it because you love him?”  
“Well… yeah…?”  
“I remember that, you told me. I don’t care, I still want to date you.”  
“Seriously? You want to date me knowing I’m in love with someone else?”  
“It’s not ideal, sure, but…” David finally looked away from him, staring at the pond with a frustrated sigh “I mean, I don’t wanna be cruel but he’s in love with someone else and dating them, it’s not like you guys are a thing. Or will be any time soon. He has a girlfriend that he seems very happy with. There is no reason for you to wait for him forever. Or at all. He doesn’t love you like I do.”  
“I know that! Okay?! I know that…”  
“So?”  
“It feels wrong!”  
“Fine! Let’s not date. We don’t need to put a label on it, I guess. We can just… hang out like always but… we can do other stuff too. Look, let’s make a deal. If ever, by any chance, Stan returns your feelings, I will step aside. No questions asked. But right now, why shouldn’t we?” Kyle was biting his lower lip in thought when David suddenly smiled. “Speaking of the Devil…”

The Jew turned to look at the same direction as the taller boy and saw Stan and Wendy coming down the trail that led to the Pond, holding hands. Wendy was talking happily gesturing with her free hand, Stan nodding every few sentences. His eyes suddenly spotted them and he smiled, leading Wendy towards them.

“Hey, guys!” David waved at them with a charming smile “Date night?”  
“Yeah. What are you guys doing?” asked Stan, Wendy had stopped talking when approaching them.  
“Just hanging out. You guys have any plans for Valentine’s next week?”  
“Yes!” Wendy’s eyes lit up at the question “We were just talking about it during dinner. I found this gorgeous hotel in Denver near the theater so we’re going there for the weekend.  
“The theater? And you’re spending the night?”  
“Yes, there is this play she wants to see” Stan answered the question scratching the back of his head “But it’s late, so…”

Kyle looked around distractedly, not really wanting to be part of the conversation.

“Wow. Classy.” David grinned at the couple, giving them a wink “Have fun.”  
“We will!” Wendy waved them goodbye and started walking. Stan looked at Kyle and fist-bumped him on the shoulder.  
“Text you later, okay?”  
“Yeah, okay.”

They stayed silent until the couple had walked away a safe distance. Kyle felt David take his hand again and slowly turned towards him with a sad smile, embarrassed that the other knew about his feelings for Stan.

“Hey, you okay?”  
“Yes, yes. It’s the same shit every year, I’m used to it. Don’t even worry about it.”  
“And you? What do you want to be doing this year?”

The taller boy moved closer, putting an arm around his shoulders, not in a way that suggested intimacy, just comfort. Kyle closed his eyes and let himself relax, grateful for the other’s warmth.

“…Okay.”  
“Okay?”

Kyle glanced up at him, then looked around to make sure they were alone before leaving a quick kiss on his cheek.

“Let’s do this.”

David smiled, leaning down to kiss the redhead’s lips.

“Okay.”

_

That week went by quickly. Kyle put some rules to the agreement he made with David, like making sure there was no chance of being discovered, keeping it as hidden as possible, but he still couldn’t keep David from sneaking kisses here and there in dark corners. He had to admit it was very exciting, the secrecy and the risks making his blood race.

It was already Friday, Valentine’s Day, and Stan and Wendy were in their own world, just as the other couples who were getting ready for the weekend. As the last bell rang, Kyle opened his backpack to see that someone had snuck a bag of Hershey kisses inside. He looked around and found David looking at him, giving him a quick wink. He smiled and met with the other at the door, walking together towards the lockers.

“Thank you for the kisses.”  
“You’re welcome. That’s the best I could do to give you some more without people noticing. I wish they weren’t the chocolate type, buut I hope you enjoy them anyway.”  
“I will.” Kyle opened his locker, seeing Clyde not far away trying to get a date out Bebe since she was single that year. It seemed to be working. “Actually… I know we said we’d do something tomorrow morning but are you doing anything later? I have my SAT class now but I don’t have any plans after that.”  
“Oh…” David’s face fell a bit, a scowl appearing on his face, clearly wanting to say yes. “I have to work at my parents’ place…”  
“It’s okay! I’ll call Kenny then, we’re always single so we spent this day together many times anyway.”  
“Why don’t you guys come over for dinner? On the house.”  
“Really? Your parents won’t mind?”  
“Just let me worry about that. I’m allowed to invite friends every once in a while.”  
“Awesome! I’ll see you tonight then.” He gave the Mexican a wave and a smile, shutting his locker and heading towards his class. David smiled as he started his way home for a quick shower before work. His night was looking much better now.

\- 

A few hours later David’s face lit up when Kyle went into the restaurant, even if he was followed by Kenny and Cartman. The tanned boy showed them to their table, Kyle giving him an apologetic smile with a nod towards Cartman.

“Sorry, he overheard me speak with Kenny and kind of invited himself, I didn’t want him to come. I made him bring his Buddha Box though, so he shouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience once he’s done eating.”  
“Don’t worry amor, I’ll make sure my father _comes_ too.” The other reassured in his ear with an evil smile, going away after taking their order.

Kyle found the dinner to be quite pleasant, the guys telling him about the last plot Cartman had been carrying out over the last month to convince Butters to give him money by promising not to make him lay eggs or something. Apparently, he had made Butters eat some marzipan eggs telling him they would give him powers and after they were eaten, he had told the blond he had made a mistake and they would make him the target of a demon giant yellow chicken. Something like that.

His eyes met with David’s from time to time, the other busy waiting tables but still winking at him when he heard Cartman compliment the ‘tart but savory sauce’, earning a smile from Kyle every time.

After they finished their food Kyle proceeded to annoy the hell out of Cartman until he put the Buddha Box over his head, disconnecting from the conversation entirely. Kenny put an elbow on the table resting his chin on his hand, his eyes fixed on Kyle with a knowingly smile.

“What?” Kyle looked back at him raising an eyebrow “Don’t stare at me like that, it’s creepy.”  
“Mmhm. So how long has this been going on?”  
“What are you talking about?”  
“Come on, man. The stolen glances, the smiles…” Kenny nodded towards David, who was cleaning a table with their back to them. Kyle didn’t know how to answer, his face blushing. “Anything you wanna share with your good friend Kenny? Eeh?”  
“…No.”  
“You sure?” Kyle scowled at him, Kenny’s smile only widened “Please, I know you three like the back of my hand”.  
“So?”  
“So, I’m tired of seeing you sad and lonely. You need to get laid, dude.”  
“I’m not lonely” mumbled Kyle crossing his arms “Or gay.”

Kenny rolled his eyes, deciding to ignore that comment.

“Listen, you know I get plenty. Stan has a girlfriend and also gets some often. Even Cartman gets laid every once in a while, I don’t know how.” He added pointing at the teen in a box next to him. “You deserve some action, even if it’s not with the person you’d really want to.”

Kyle looked at him wide-eyes, again unsure on how to answer that, when David made his way towards their table.

“How is everything? Anything else I can get for you?”  
“Some brown sugar for my friend Kyle would be nice.” answered Kenny with a sly smile.

Kyle blushed fiercely punching him on the shoulder, David only laughed.

“Oh, gladly. I meant from the menu though.” 

Cartman took the box off his head, glancing around at the scene, his glance falling on Kyle.

“What did I miss? Why are you so red?”  
“We’re making fun of Kyle.” Kenny immediately replied.  
“Ooh, I like it! What’s the premise?”  
“We’re trying to make him happy.”  
“Aw, that’s boring. Just give him gold or something. Screw you guys, I’m going home.”

Cartman got up after picking up the taco leftovers, not even attempting to pay even though Kyle hadn’t told him that David was treating them to the dinner. The redhead stood up to escape the looks of the other two, saying he was leaving too. When Kenny was about to follow him, David put a hand on his shoulder, telling him to wait for a minute. They waved Kyle goodbye and David sat down in front of Kenny. 

“Hey, Kenny. I heard you’re looking for a way to make money. I have a proposition for you.”  
“Wow, dude. I’m flattered but I’m not that desperate.”  
“What?”  
“I assume it has something to do with sucking Mexican dick.”  
“What? No! No. Just no. Listen, I could use some free time on the weekends this year, but I’m always here. I haven’t told my parents yet, but they will take it much easier if I already have someone trustworthy that can replace me when I break it to them.”

Kenny’s playful demeanor disappeared in an instant, leaning forward on the table.

“Wait, are you offering a job? YOUR job? For real?”  
“Yes. It would only be for a few hours on the weekends, and we would need to agree on what shifts we do, but if you’re willing to cover some of them, the pay would, of course, be yours. It’s not good pay, I warn you, but you can get a lot from tips.”  
“Fuck yes, all the way yes. Thank you.”  
“Awesome. I’ll talk to them and let you know.”

David stood up to go back to work, Kenny doing the same and hugging the other tightly.

“Wow.” The Mexican was a bit surprised, but smiled and hugged him back “Chill, it’s only a job.”  
“You’re a good guy, David. Good luck with Kyle, I hope you get him.”  
“Thanks.” David smirked watching the merry blond make his way out of the restaurant, shaking his head as he went back to work.

-

A week had passed, and Stan was in a bad mood that morning. What had happened with Wendy in Denver was weighing on his mind and he hadn’t been able to talk to Kyle about it. He had discussed it with Kenny, his other best friend, and it made him feel better, but it wasn’t the same.

When either of them was distraught about something they would go to Stark’s Pond, lay on their rock and talk about it until they felt better. But his Jewish friend seemed to be pretty busy lately. He texted him a few times asking to hang out but no luck, just answered Sunday night to say that he was sorry and that Stan didn’t need to pick him up to go to school. At least it was Monday again and he would see him there. His eyes roamed the hallways while Kenny played something on his phone next to him, looking for that familiar red hair.

He finally spotted him waiting in front of the class with Token’s group. Clyde and David we also there, Craig lazily looking at his phone with an arm around Tweek’s hips while the blond talked with Kyle. Stan grabbed Kenny’s arm and pulled him towards the group, Kyle smiling when he saw them approaching.

“Hey dudes!” Kyle and Tweek waved to them, Stan gave Tweek a quick smile before focusing on Kyle.  
“Where the hell have you been this weekend?”  
“I went camping with David. I ran out of battery Friday night, I could only text back when I got home.”  
“Oh. Well, it’s okay. Are you free this afternoon after practice?”  
“Why, what do you wanna do?”  
“Stark’s Pond.”  
“Oh.” Kyle understood what Stan needed and offered him a smile and a pat on the back. “Absolutely, see you there at 6?”  
“Yeah, thanks…” Stan sighed, he felt so much better already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they became a thing! Not a couple, just a thing :)  
> I'm not sure how much I should write with David and how much with Stan. I guess we'll see?  
> This is just the beginning, though.


	3. What is going on?

They arrived at the lake a little after 6, Stan picking him up after basketball practice. They sat on their ‘spot’, the rock they always went to when they wanted to have serious talks. Stan passed to Kyle one of the canned beers he had stolen from his father while Kyle was busy, opening his own and chugging it rapidly.

Kyle raised an eyebrow, realizing just how distraught Stan was although he didn’t know the reason yet. He opened the can and took a couple of sips with a grimace; he really didn’t like the bitter taste of beer. He looked over at his friend who was staring at the lake, a blush on his face. He hadn’t drunk that much beer yet, so whatever he wanted to talk about was obviously embarrassing.

“You okay, man?”  
“I don’t know…”

They quietly drank, Kyle trying to hold back so he wouldn’t pressure Stan. After a good ten minutes though, he felt like his friend needed a little push.

“So… What happened?”

Stan inhaled deeply, blushing even more.

“Okay, so… Last weekend was Valentine’s.”  
“I remember that fact, yes.”  
“And some interesting stuff happened.”

Kyle looked at him feeling a bit nervous that Stan had found out about David. Had he seen him somehow? But that couldn’t be, he was in Denver on Saturday, busy with Wendy at the same time David was plowing him mercilessly. Maybe someone had found out somehow and told him? Was he about to confront him about being gay? 

“Yes…?”  
“I went to Denver with Wendy, remember? We went to see that play she wanted and then we spent the night at the hotel. She was feeling… very friendly, when we arrived.”  
“Well, yes, it was Valentine’s. I can imagine.”  
“It was all going great, we put some nice music on, I took her dress off, we started fooling around… but I couldn’t… I couldn’t… I mean. I was pretty drunk, it happens to many guys!”

Kyle stayed silent, seeing Stan blush and even darker shade of red, relieved that it had nothing to do with him or David.

“You couldn’t what?”

Stan took another long sip of his beer, ashamed of himself. He brought a hand to his crotch and made an upwards motion.

“Oh, you couldn’t get it up!” Stan hushed him looking around with paranoia. “It’s okay, dude.” He said trying not to laugh. “As you said, it happens to many guys, especially with alcohol involved. Don’t even worry about it.”  
“That’s not what worries me.”  
“What is it then?”  
“Well, as I said I couldn’t… you know. And Wendy was starting to get pissed at me. So. She got down on her knees, pulled my pants down, and started, you know, licking me and stuff.”  
“Aha.” Kyle frowned and focused on his beer, unwilling to hear about Wendy sucking his dick. Again. He had to admit that he had used in the past stories that Stan had told him about him and Wendy to fuel his own fantasies about his friend while masturbating, but he always felt that frustrated jealousy when listening to them. “So she sucked you off, what a surprise.”  
“No, dude! That… wasn’t working either.”  
“Oh.” He looked at Stan with worried curiosity, unsure about where Stan was going with this “So what did you do?”  
“I was about to tell her to just stop when I felt… I felt her finger prodding at my asshole.”  
“WHAT?! Oh, shit! No way.”  
“Yes, way.” Kyle was looking at his friend with genuine interest now. “Did she like, put it in?”  
“Yeeah… A little bit? I freaked out, obviously,” said Stan very tense, although it sounded a bit like an excuse. “But she kept saying ‘Let me try this, let me try this!’, so… I let her. It wasn’t her whole finger or anything! Just the tip, you know? She moved it around a bit while using her tongue and… I don’t know, before I knew it I was so, so hard. Like, super horny, I went from 0 to a 100 _real_ quick.”

Kyle said nothing, blushing himself now. Did Stan seriously get hard from a finger in his ass? God, he could only imagine the next time he jerked off, he would imagine himself doing that to Stan _for sure_. Stan finished his beer and opened another one, looking mortified.

“Is it… Is it weird? Does that make me gay?” he heard Stan ask in a tiny voice.  
“No! No, not at all.”  
“I mean, my grandpa told me once about it, that’s how my father was born apparently. He was having sex with my grandma and she put a finger up his ass or something.”  
“Oh, wow. Gross.”  
“Yeah. But that means it works, right? It’s not a gay thing.” Stan sighed, scratching the back of his head.  
“Many people think so, but no, it’s not a gay thing. Don’t worry dude, you’re in the clear.”  
“Would you… would you that? Like, when you finally get a girlfriend, would you let her do that to you?”  
“What? Fuck you!”

Kyle frowned at him. Partially because of the ‘when you finally get a girlfriend’ comment, partially because he literally had fingers up his ass last weekend, and not just the tip, he just couldn’t tell him that.

“Sorry, I meant… since you haven’t dated anyone…”  
“That doesn’t mean that I don’t get any! Or that I was alone last weekend while you were busy getting fingered.” Kyle spat in annoyance. “Fuck you, dude. You sound like Kenny.”  
“Really? Who were you with?” Stan looked at him with obvious surprise deciding to ignore the finger comment, seeing Kyle choke on his beer.  
“None of your business!”

The redhead turned away from Stan’s stare. He couldn’t tell him he hooked up with another guy! Fortunately, Stan seemed to think the attitude was because he was lying and embarrassed about it and not because he was actually with someone on Valentine’s. Kyle let him think that, avoiding any explanation whatsoever. They went home shortly after, not talking much after that conversation.

-

The next day Kyle was still a bit pissed so Stan gave him some extra attention, from the moment he picked him up to go to school. Kyle enjoyed having the black-haired boy so focused on him, he missed this. He missed being with Stan all day long, joking in class. They sat together in Biology and even though he still took noted, Kyle decided it was okay to slack a bit. When their teacher scolded them for talking in class, they decided to keep going but writing in a piece of paper instead.

When Ms. Davis, their Literature teacher turned around to write on the board and knowing they wouldn’t be heard, Stan felt free to leave some comments in the paper about what he would do to her if he could, making Kyle roll his eyes. Next, he had Spanish, which he didn’t share with Stan but they still texted with their phones beneath their desks. He shared that class with Kenny, and the blond kept looking at him with an amused smiled on his face, eventually whispering things for Kyle to send to participate too. He laughed as the redhead jumped from his seat when the bell rang, both head to the cafeteria for lunch. They met with Cartman and Stan in the line to get their food, Cartman being in an unusually happy mood.

They sat at their usual table, Stan waving at Wendy when she passed but making no attempts to go towards her. 

“What has you in such a good mood, Cartman?” asked Kenny eyeing him suspiciously.  
“Some things are working out for me.” He answered happily stabbing two tater tots and stuffing them into his mouth.  
“What things?”  
“Just things.”  
“That can’t be good.” Said Kyle raising an eyebrow, you could never know with Cartman.  
“What can’t be good?” asked Stan turning his attention to them.  
“Cartman said things are working out for him.”  
“What things?”  
“Exactly my question.” Said Kenny taking a bite of his sandwich. “And where is Butters, by the way?”

Cartman smiled again with a shrug of his shoulders and Kenny kept trying to press him into talking. Stan turned towards Kyle to see him mouthing something to someone on another table. He followed his gaze and saw Tweek gesturing something with his hands. The blond saw him and stopped, waving at him with a sheepish smile. Stan gave him a seductive smile and a wink, earning a glare from Craig, but Stan smirked and winked at him as well making the other turn in a huff. The. As he was turning around his eyes met with David’s, who smiled at him. But it wasn’t a warm or a friendly smile, it was a smile that was hiding something. He couldn’t describe it but he didn’t like it.

Kyle had turned his attention to their table again and Stan nudged him on the side.

“Hey. How was your weekend, by the way? I never asked.”  
“Fine! It was a lot of fun, thanks for asking.”  
“Glad to hear that, God knows I’ve been trying to take you camping forever. Maybe we could go now if you’re getting more into it.”  
“Not really? I’m sorry Stan, you know I’m not a big fan of camping. With the bugs and the dirt, just… Ugh.”  
“Come on, we used to when we were kids! It’ll be fun!”  
“It’s different when you’re a kid, all you want is to do is play and get dirty.”  
“We can play and get dirty now.” Kyle raised his eyebrows blushing a little, the thoughts that went through his heads proving that they were indeed not kids anymore. Stan blushed too, feeling a bit awkward. “Okay, I heard it too, let’s pretend I didn’t say that.”  
“Good idea. Yep.” Kyle coughed and took a bite of his sandwich, looking away.  
“No, no, no.” Stan grabbed his friend’s shoulder, making him face him again. “Don’t think you can get away from this. We’re going camping.”  
“Stan…” Kyle sighed, looking at Stan with a pleading face. “Not camping, please.”  
“But you went camping this weekend! With David.” He shot a quick glare to the Mexican, who was obliviously talking with his friends. “This is so unfair.”  
“Yes, and I remembered exactly why I stopped going camping. Not fun.”  
“You said it was a lot of fun.”  
“I…” Kyle pinched the bridge of his nose with a frustrated sigh. “You got me in a box here. Look, we can do anything else. Literally anything else, I’m in.”  
“Dude, come on…” Stan locked his ocean blue eyes in Kyle’s, knowing how well this seemed to work when he wanted to convince him to do something. And his best friend’s emerald green eyes were so beautiful that he was grateful for the chance to stare at them without being called a homo. He knew Kyle was lost in his eyes and he smiled when he saw his friend slowly open his mouth, hesitating a bit but ready to agree. He had him.  
“Hey, queermos!” Cartman’s voice burst through the air like an obnoxious thunder that completely broke the moment and made Kyle jumped startled, looking away. “Before you start fucking all over this table, it’s time to get to class.”

Stan shot him a dirty look, silently damning him for ruining it. It had been so close he could smell the wet grass and marshmallows roasting in the fire. Kyle got up squeezing Stan’s shoulder, picking up his tray.

“We’ll do something, okay? Not camping, but, something.”  
“This conversation is not over, okay? I’ll pick you up after practice, we’ll talk about it.”  
“Ooh… Not today, I promised David we’d go shopping for a new bag, he really needs one. You had to see Wendy anyway, right? But I’ll text you when I get home, okay?”

Stan watched the redhead leave with Cartman, fighting the urge to bang his head on the table. Kenny chuckled and patted him on the back.

“Come on, lover boy. We’ll be late.”  
“You get going, I need to go to the bathroom.”  
“Okay man, see you there.”

Stan headed towards the bathroom, not really in the best of moods. He couldn’t understand how David had managed to take Kyle way camping for a whole weekend, his redheaded best friend hated being out in the wild. Or at least that was what he’d been telling him. He felt like his friend was getting away from him, slowly but surely. And now he was choosing David over him? What was going on? He didn’t like it. If there was a constant in his life, that was Kyle. The one thing he could count on. But Stan wasn’t as stupid and oblivious as people implied sometimes, he could see how Kyle was spending more and more time with David instead of him. He could see the familiarity that was growing between them, that way they looked at each other as if they were having silent conversations, something Kyle used to do only with him. 

He stepped into the bathroom, going straight for the urinal. He could see David was becoming as close with Kyle as Stan was as if the Mexican was trying to become Kyle’s new best friend. He had mentioned it to Craig once but the chullo-wearing teen had just laughed at him and called him stupid. But he wasn’t. Stan was almost done at the urinal when David came into the bathroom giving him a smile upon seeing him.

“Hey man,” Stan grunted in response hoping that would be enough. He flushed and moved to the sink to wash his hands, David taking his place. He could feel the tanned boy’s eyes on him, and he was growing more annoyed by the minute. Did David have no bathroom etiquette at all?  
“Do you need anything?”  
“Actually, yes.” David flushed the urinal and joined Stan at the sinks, washing his hands  
without losing his smile. “Spring Break is next month. I know you and Kyle normally do stuff together with the guys, but I was thinking of going somewhere for the week.”  
“Going somewhere? Where?” repeated Stan with a scowl on his face “Alone?”  
“Well, we don’t know yet. And no, we wouldn’t we alone. It’d be with Craig and Tweek. But Craig and I haven’t gone over all the details yet. Kenny already agreed to cover my shifts for the week so it should be okay. I already talked to Wendy, she loved it.  
“Wo, you talked to my girlfriend?”  
“Yeah, she loved the idea. She’s really excited about having you all to herself for a week.”  
“What?!”  
“A whole week alone with your girlfriend, I can only imagine what you guys will be doing” the Mexican winked at him with what Stan could only recognize as an evil smile. “Don’t tell Kyle yet, okay? It’s a surprise. See you around!”

David left the bathroom leaving Stan speechless. That manipulative bitch. He just took away the best parts of Spring Break. After that Stan was convinced, David was trying to steal his best friend. He kept a close eye on them for the rest of the week, only confirming his suspicions.

-

Kenny lit up a join, talking a walk through the woods near Stark’s Pond after work. It was Friday night and the restaurant had been packed, he needed it, he needed to relax from work, from school, from his parents, from everything. He enjoyed the solitude; this was his quiet time.

He tried to leave his mind completely blank, to disconnect from the world that surrounded him. He walked silently like a shadow, sighing when he was done with the joint. He kept walking around the lake, he didn’t want to go home yet. This was his favorite moment of the week, a moment for him and him alone.

Then, he heard a noise in the darkness. A noise he would recognize anywhere, having heard it plenty of times. A moan. He wasn’t alone anymore, and he froze for a second. That was obviously a private moment and there was no way he would cockblock anyone. He was about to turn when he heard another moan, followed by a curse. That voice sounded… familiar.

Feeling a bit excited he tried to follow the noise as quietly and discreetly as he could. The voice got a bit louder, Kenny crouching between the bushes trying to locate the source. Then he saw it.

He was surprised that Kyle was even hard in that cold, but he was. His back pressed against a tree with David kneeling in front of him, Kyle’s hands tangled in his black hair. His head fell back with another moan and David pulled away, jerking him off for a few seconds.

“Be quiet or someone will hear you.”

Kyle had some difficulty to respond as David’s mouth went back to his dick, visibly tensing against the tree.

“F-Fuck, David, I-I… Damn, this feels good…”

The redhead had his eyes closed tightly; his mouth opened as unwilling moans escaped his lips. Kenny could feel himself getting hard watching that flushed, beautiful face. He debated with himself if he should leave, he didn’t want to get caught but he didn’t want to move and accidentally make a noise that would alert the other two of his presence either. The more he stayed there, the more the scene was getting to him, his hand unconsciously going down to his crotch and palming himself through his jeans.

Kenny shuddered, biting his lips watching David’s head bobbing faster, Kyle’s little whines of pleasure were getting more frantic and high-pitched, more desperate.

“Oh, fuck…” Kenny couldn’t help it, but fortunately, the other two didn’t notice. His hand slipped inside his underwear with even realizing when he had undone his pants, his movement matching the speed of David’s head. One of Kyle’s hand raised above his head and grabbed the tree his hips jerking forward.

Kenny’s breath got caught in his throat as he heard David choke a bit, not reducing his speed for a second. He could feel himself nearing his orgasm, hand slippery with precum, and he knew Kyle was as well by the sound of his voice.

“Ooh, fuck… Yes, yes!”

Kyle was losing control, erratically moving his hips, fucking David’s mouth to his heart’s content. Kenny bit down on his parka to muffle his own noises as Kyle brought the hand that was on David’s head to his lips and nearly screamed, climaxing in the other boy’s mouth. Kenny noticed with a growl that David didn’t pull away, instead swallowing every drop Kyle had to offer.

Kenny came with a muffled sound, dropping to the floor. Kyle slid down the tree until David caught him, pulling him to his lap. He wrapped Kyle’s shivering form with his arms, kissing him just below his ear. The blond blinked and watched the couple melt into each other, quietly slipping away from the scene. He was feeling tired but he started the walk back home, wondering to himself what the fuck had just happened.

-

The following night Stan was getting out of a convenience store with Cartman after getting some snacks. They got in the car heading to Kenny’s job. Stan was not having the Saturday night he thought he would. 

After watching the way his super best friend behaved around David, he knew they were becoming closer, much closer than he liked. He couldn’t believe that Kyle, his Kyle, was getting a new best friend so he cleverly deduced that David was the one trying to make that happen. Maybe the Mexican was getting tired of having Craig as his best friend, something he didn’t find hard to believe, to him the guy was an asshole. But that gave David no right to try and steal his. 

So, he made some bullshit excuse about his father to Wendy to have his night free, determined to have some quality time with Kyle and get him back, to remind him who his super best friend really was. The problem was that when he called Kyle for a guys’ night, the redhead told him he already had plans. Apparently, he had some test coming and David was helping him study for it. So here he was, stuck with Cartman on his car munching cookies, without Wendy and without Kyle. They parked near the restaurant, getting out into the chilling cold.

“I hope we don’t have to stay long” Said Cartman as he and Stan made their way into Nueva Familia. Kenny’s shift was almost over and the place was more filled with people drinking than having dinner. They got to the counter and David’s father greeted them with a smile.  
“Hey, boys! Here to pick up Kenny? He’s almost done.”  
“Hey, Mr. Rodriguez.” Stan waved at him and sat on one of the bar stools. “We’ll wait here if you don’t mind.”  
“Of course not! Do you want anything while you wait?”  
“Is the kitchen open?” asked Cartman trying to peek behind him.  
“No, sorry. Closed and clean, my wife already left.”  
“You already had dinner Cartman. And you have snacks, just get something to drink. I’ll have a Coke, please.”

They already bought some but the man was always nice to him and he felt it was the least he could do. Cartman frowned and crossed his arms, asking for a drink as well. Kenny approached them with some money in his hands, opening the till after pressing a couple of buttons.

“Hey, guys. I have a couple more tables that aren’t finished yet but I’ll be done soon.”  
“I can take care of it, they’re the only two left.” The Mexican smiled, putting four shot glasses on the counter and filled them with liquor. “Don’t tell anyone about this, okay?”  
“Boss, you’re the best.” Kenny smiled widely and grabbed one of the glasses, the four of them clinking them together before knocking them back. The older man sighed, patting Kenny’s back.  
“I’m very happy with you Kenny, you’re a good worker. And it allows David to focus more on his studies, I’m glad he’s taking it more seriously this year.”  
“Thank you for the drinks, Mr. Rodriguez.” Stan took his wallet out but David’s father waved at him dismissively.  
“Don’t worry about it, on the house.”  
“Now that’s what I call five-star service.” Cartman smiled happily and grabbed his soda heading for the door. Stan did the same, Kenny hanging up his apron and putting on his parka as he followed his friends outside.  
“So, what do you guys wanna do?”  
“We can go to my place and play some games; my mom is out tonight.” Offered Cart shivering, the cold air of the end of February too much even for him. “It may snow soon, I don’t want to be outside.”  
“Sounds good to me.” Agreed Kenny without a second thought, grateful when they all got in Stan’s car and headed to Cartman’s house.  
“And we get to do it without Kyle, which is awesome. Where is he anyway?”  
“I called him but he said he couldn’t,” answered Stan in a serious voice.  
“Studying?”  
“With David.”  
“Again? Pfft. A Mexican and a Jew, it’s like the beginning of a bad joke. They’re hanging out a lot this year.”  
“Yeah, it’s starting to piss me off. He should be here with us.”  
“Why? I count it as a fucking blessing. At least you’re spending more time with us now. Getting tired of your bitch again?”  
“Shut up, fatass.”  
“Problems in paradise, uh.”  
“I will honestly kick you out of the car.”

Kenny listened to the whole exchange from the back seat, not saying a word. He was watching Stan’s face in the rear-view mirror, seeing him frown deeply. If only he knew.


	4. Not Again

Kyle was putting the books he didn’t need in his locker, grateful that he didn’t get that much homework. He closed it and turned around, jumping back startled with a loud gasp when he saw Wendy standing right behind him.

“Jesus Christ, Wendy! You almost gave a heart attack.”

“Hey, Kyle. Sorry about that.” She smiled apologetically. “Stan can’t pick me up today and I thought we could walk home together. I wanted to speak to you.”

“Em, yes, sure.” Kyle found that a bit weird but assumed it couldn't hurt to hear her out. They left the building together and saw Kenny and Butters waiting by the door, merrily chatting. The taller blond spotted them and smiled as they approached.

“Hey, guys! Out of those SAT classes?”

“Yes, finally done for the day. What are you guys doing here?”

“Waiting for Cartman, if you guys wanna come with us. I don’t think he’ll take much longer.”

“That’s a no from me.” Said Wendy almost instantly with a roll of her eyes. 

“And me. It’s okay, I’ll go with Wendy. See you guys tomorrow.”

Wendy waved them goodbye, and pulled Kyle’s arm to make sure they started walking before Cartman came out, she didn’t feel like dealing with him. Kenny and Butters shared a look and shrugged, just watching them leave.

They walked in silence for a while, Kyle waiting for the girl to speak up, but it didn’t look like she was going to anytime soon. He decided to break the silence himself, mildly curious about what she wanted.

“So… What did you wanna talk about?” he looked at her, her eyes focused on the ground as they walked. “I mean, I assume it’s about Stan. If it was school-related you could’ve told me in class.”

“Yes, it is… Are you guys doing okay?”

“What?” Kyle looked at her now with confusion, Wendy finally looking up at him. “Yes? We’re fine, as always. Why? Did he say something?”

“Well… Stan told me you guys haven’t been talking or seeing each other much lately.”

“Really?” Kyle thought about it, they did hang out some days. Not as much as they used to, maybe, but they did. “We’re not together 24/7, you know. We have our own hobbies and stuff. I think you two haven’t been spending that much time together, so he has more free time now.”

“Oh, please. Even the times when Stan and I saw each other more often you still video-called each other every night, or at the very least text. Even when he was still with me.” She said with an accusatory look. “Even after sex.”

Kyle didn’t know what to say to that. Stan _had_ called him a couple of times after sleeping with her, he could see Wendy laying on the background. He recalled the way his hair was all ruffled, his face red and his chest a bit sweaty, and- Kyle shook his head to get the memories out of his head. Especially the ones about taking a screenshot with Stan knowing and jerking off to them after.

“Is there a point here Wendy, or…?”

“Yes, Kyle. The point is that he’s going to need you for a while and I wanted to be sure you guys were okay.”

“Oh. Fuck. Me. Another break-up? Is that what this is about?” Kyle rolled his eyes feeling exhausted just by hearing that. “Why this time? And for how long? I thought you two were doing fine.”

They stopped when they arrived at Wendy’s house, closer to school than Kyle’s. The redhead looked at her angrily, arms crossed over his chest. Wendy played with a lock of her silky black hair, looking around in thought. 

“We’re fine together, and we care about each other. Deeply. But… that’s it. Even if we spend days or even a couple of weeks without talking to each other, we’re still fine. That’s why I’ve tried to make him spend more time with me this time, but that feeling has never changed. Even when we go on dates sometimes… it feels more like hanging out with a friend than anything else.”

“Pfft. Friends with benefits.” Snorted Kyle at her explanation.

“Yes, exactly! That’s what we are, I don’t know why he takes it so badly every time we split. By calling ourselves a couple, we’re kind of… stepping in each other’s way to find someone who we love, someone who loves us back. Don’t you think?” 

“I can’t fucking believe what I’m hearing.” Kyle stared at her with an angry expression on his face, Wendy waiting patiently feeling the full weight of that glare. “Stan loves you, Wendy. That’s why he ‘takes it so badly every time’." he snapped air-quoting those words. "That’s why he does anything you fucking ask him to.”

“Kyle…”

“I’m gonna ask you something, and I want you to be completely honest.” His tone was tense and serious, the girl just nodded. “Is there someone else? Are you dumping him for some other guy?”

“What? No! Nonono. This has nothing to do with anybody else. Look, we’ve broken up in the past for stupid reasons. We did because of other reasons, even if we didn’t want to. I know you want me to do this. I really think this is the right thing to do, and I know you think so too. It’s time to let this relationship end once and for all and accept that we’re just friends. With benefits, sure, maybe. But not a couple.”

“I… I don’t know how to process this. So… you’ll both be single but still fuck sometimes. That’s what you’re going for.”

“Maybe…? I don’t know, Kyle. I don’t know how he’s gonna take it or how things will go.”

“I do. You’ll do this, and you’ll hurt him, and a couple of weeks from now, maybe a couple of months, you’ll be back together again.”

“Not this time.”

“Bullshit.”

“Kyle, please. I… don’t want to break up with him. But I mean what I’m saying. I just want to be sure that you’ll be there for him.”

“I’m always there for him.”

“I know…”

Wendy suddenly hugged him, resting her face on Kyle’s shoulder, looking sadly at the ground behind him. After the initial shock, the redhead hugged her back, running his hands up and down her back. Maybe she truly was trying to do the right thing. Even if it was her decision that didn’t mean it wasn’t going to be tough on her too.

“You’re really good for him, Kyle…”

“Thank you.” He replied with a resigned sigh. “When are you gonna do it?”

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING, YOU BITCH?! AND YOU, TRAITOR!”

They jumped apart; the scream had scared the shit out of both of them. The looked down the street to see Cartman running towards them looking furious. 

“I couldn’t believe Butters when he told me but IT’S TRUE!”

“Cartman, you need to chill the fuck out.”

“DON’T TELL ME TO CHILL, YOU JEW RAT! That’s your friend’s girlfriend, you know?!”

“I know that fatass, we weren’t doing anything.”

“BULLSHIT! I saw you!”

“You saw us hugging, Eric. You’re misinterpreting the situation.” Said Wendy trying to get Cartman to stop screaming. “Don’t start putting things in whatever context you want in order to--“

“Don’t talk to me, you cock-greedy, cheating whore!”

Kyle’s fist came out of nowhere making full contact with Cartman’s eye, making him fall on his ass.

“As you said that’s my best friend’s girlfriend, don’t talk to her like that. Damn, that felt good.”

“I bet” Wendy started to head inside, looking over her shoulder at Kyle to answer the rudely interrupted question he had made. “Very soon.”

The Jew nodded at her before stepping over Cartman, ready to go home.

“Stay out of people’s businesses, fatso.”

Cartman sat up watching him leave, a wide smile starting to appear on his face. What just happened was better than anything he could’ve asked for. It would allow him to have the high moral ground, mess with Wendy’s image, and hopefully see Stan and Kyle fight. He checked the pictures he had taken and got up, heading home too. The rest of the week was going to be so freaking fun.

-

It was a cold Thursday morning, everything seemed calm. Just another normal day in South Park’s High School. That is until Eric Cartman arrived. 

Everybody turned their heads when he walked by, the fat boy looking around as if scared he was going to be attacked at any moment. He was shaking visibly while he waited in front of the class, avoiding everyone’s question about what had happened to him. His left eye was visibly bruised and swollen. Butters was at his side, nervously glancing in his direction, some of the other boys making comments, speculating. The girls were also theorizing, whispering among them. Except for Wendy, who refused to acknowledge him at all. She had seen the punch, even if Eric’s skin bruised easily, it wasn’t that hard. And there was nothing to make him think that Kyle would hit him again that merited behaving like that. Something was up.

Then Stan, Kyle, and Kenny finally arrived. And nothing happened. Stan questioned him but Cartman chose to remain silent, simply staying as far away from them as possible. Kyle and Wendy exchanged a look just as the bell rang and they all went into class. They kept an eye on him but the day went by without incident, and when the last period ended Kyle and Wendy let out a sigh of relief. It seemed Cartman wasn’t planning anything after all.

Wendy left and Kyle headed towards the gym with David and Token, the three of them having basketball practice. Kenny left with Butters as Stan and Cartman went to the empty classroom they used every Thursday for their board game club.

Cartman was far more quiet than normal, which made the session more difficult since he was the leader and ‘Game Master’ in everything they played so the others had to make an extra effort to get on with the games. After an hour and a half of this Stan finally had enough and slammed his hands on the table.

“Enough, Cartman! What the Hell happened to you?” he snapped making the other boy flinch, hands shaking.

“I-I can’t tell you, okay? I don’t want him to hurt me again, he made me promise I would stay quiet.”

“What?” Stan looked at him starting to get worried. “Who?”

“N-Nobody!”

“Just tell me! Cartman, if someone is threatening you, we can help. We can call the police or do something about it.”

“I don’t… I don’t think you would do that. Not to him.”

“TO WHOM?”

“To Kyle! Okay?! It’s Kyle! I… I saw them yesterday. I saw him with Wendy.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Look,” Cartman pulled out his phone and showed Stan a short video of the two. It was from a distance but Stan could see them discussing something, Kyle seemed agitated. Suddenly Wendy threw herself at Kyle, that put his hand around her, caressing her back. He saw Wendy whispering something in his ear but the video stopped. “I have pictures too. I’m sorry, but it’s true. Wendy’s cheating on you with Kyle.”

Stan looked at him in shock, not knowing what to think for a second. He refused to believe what the other was saying.

“That… that doesn’t prove anything.”

“It’s true! When I caught them, I said I would tell you and Kyle hit me and threatened me to stay quiet.”

“I…”

“Please don’t tell him I told you! Please! I shouldn’t have said anything, please, please don’t tell him. Okay? Please?”

Cartman looked at him visibly scared and suddenly got up and left, running as fast his fat legs would let him. The other boys in the room watched him leave before slowly turning to Stan, who sighed and got up as well.

“Fuck this. See you guys next week.”

He left the room, feeling confused. He had made that mistake in the past, thinking about Kyle and Wendy together. They certainly looked suspicious in the video but they hadn’t actually done anything. It was true that Kyle was a bit more distant lately, but that was because of David, not Wendy. Right? It was also true that Kyle and Wendy took their SAT classes together, but that didn’t mean anything. He checked the time on his phone. Due to Cartman’s episode they were done much earlier than normal, Kyle’s should be almost done with practice. 

He changed directions and headed to the gym. He entered discreetly, hidden by the stands. He loved watching Kyle play. Despite his bad temper, Kyle was normally calm and collected, dealing with situations with logic, but when he was on the court, he was pure passion. He spotted his best friend running towards the loop, trying to catch the ball after Token threw it and bounced back. Stan leaned against the wooden structure unable to help the smile that crept its way onto his face as he watched the end of practice, Kyle’s lean, nimble body allowing him to slip between the others easily. He had always trained hard. His speed, reflexes, and coordination were so much better than when they were kids.

Shortly after the coach blew his whistle, signaling the end. The team started to head back to the locker room and Stan decided he should wait for Kyle and take him home. He wanted to ask him what the Hell was Cartman talking about anyway, the sooner he got some answers the better. He saw David approaching Kyle and putting an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer. The taller boy whispered something in the redhead’s ear making him laugh as they disappeared. Stan’s smile turned into a frown and he left the gym as quietly as he had entered. 

He went straight to his car and moved it to the door he knew Kyle would come out of. He got off the car and leaned his back on it, lighting a cigarette. Waiting. It was more than half an hour when the guys finally started coming out, Stan’s eyes narrowed when Kyle and David came out stopping in surprise when seeing him.

“Hey, dude! What are you doing here? Don’t you have your board games thing right now?”

“We finished early, I thought I would pick you up.”

“Thanks, but David and I were gonna--“

“Kyle, I’m not fucking asking.”

“It’s okay, Token can drop me off.” Said David with a smile, sensing the tension “I’ll text you later.”

He patted Kyle on the back and went towards Token, who was just coming out the doors at that moment. Stan’s eyes hadn’t left Kyle and the redhead was worriedly looking back at him. Without another word Stan got on the car and turned it on, Kyle getting on the passenger seat. 

“Is everything okay, dude? Are you mad at me for something?” Kyle cautiously asked.

“So, is David your best friend now?” Stan asked back as they left the parking lot.

“Of course not, why would you say that?”

“I don’t know, you tell me. You’re all the time with him now, many nights you don’t even answer.”

“I’ve been busy studying, you know that. Besides, you’ve been busy with Wendy, I honestly didn’t think you would even notice…”

“Ah, yes. Wendy. What happened yesterday?”

“What do you mean?”

“Cartman, that’s what I mean. He showed me a video of you two. Wendy was in your arms. Why? He says she’s cheating on me with you.”

“Of course he fucking says that. Do you believe him?” Kyle asked incredulously. Stan didn’t answer, eyes focused on the road. “Dude, it’s Cartman! Haven’t we been through this enough?”

“I’m not saying I believe him; I’m just asking what the hell was that about.”

Kyle bit his lips, unwilling to tell Stan about the break-up before Wendy did but unwilling to lie to Stan either.

“She was worried about us. She wanted to know if we were okay.”

“Us? As in you and me?”

“Yes, us. She said you told her that… that we weren’t talking much anymore.”

“Well that’s true, isn’t it?” they stopped at a red light, Stan taking the chance to glance at his friend.

“No, it’s not. Both of us have indeed been busy lately but I’m always here for you. And that’s what I told her. Believe me, she’s not cheating on you. Especially with me, come on. You’re my best friend, I would never do that to you. Even if you weren’t together anymore, I would never go for your girl. Okay?”

“Okay…”

They stayed in silence for a bit and Kyle observed Stan’s face, that didn’t look much happier. 

“Is that all…? You still look mad.”

“I’m not mad, I just… I don’t know. I feel like there is this new distance between us, like something is changing. It’s weird and I don’t like it.”

“Don’t be silly…”

They finally stopped in front of Kyle’s house, a slightly uncomfortable silence hanging in the air even though the radio was on. Kyle put a hand on his friend’s shoulder and Stan turned to look at him, lips pressed tight.

“Stan, you’re always going to be my best friend. Alright? For as long as you want to be. Nobody else.”

“Alright… If you say so. You’re like a brother to me, Kyle.”

“Like a brother… yes… you too, dude.” Kyle gave him a sad smile, opening the door of the car and hopping off.

“Text you later?”

“Sure. Bye, Stan.”

Kyle went straight to his room, dropping his duffel bag and fell face-first onto his bed. He replayed in his mind his friend’s last words. Fuck, that hurt. His phone buzzed and he took it out of his pocket, seeing a text from David asking what had happened with Stan but he put it down opting for calling him later and buried his head in the pillow again. He didn’t move until he heard soft knocking and turned his head to the side to see Ike leaning against the doorframe, looking at him worried.

“You okay, bro?”

“… Yes. Everything’s fine.”

-

The next day it was obvious that everything wasn’t fine. Stan picked the boys up as usual except for Cartman, who texted him saying he didn’t feel safe in the same closed space Kyle was in. Stan rolled his eyes at that but shrugged it off thinking that if they didn’t acknowledge Cartman’s bullshit he would just drop it. He smiled at Kyle when he got on the passenger seat. The redhead had replied a bit curtly to his texts the previous night but Stan wanted to make it clear that he wasn’t believing Cartman. They told Kenny about it when he asked on the way to school and neither of them gave it any more importance.

Until they arrived at school. As soon as they crossed the doors, everyone’s eyes were on them. Not just people who knew them, every one. Stan and Kyle were growing uncomfortable under the judgmental look thrown their way, even Kenny was a little creeped out. They arrived at the lockers founding Token and Clyde who shared a look before greeting them when they saw them approach.

“What the hell is up with everybody?” asked Stan as soon as they got there.

“You haven’t seen it?” Clyde took it his phone and looked for something while Token closed his locker, turning it towards them when he found it. On the screen was a video that Stan recognized, capturing the moment that Wendy had hugged Kyle two days prior. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he heard his best friend gasp and take the phone from Clyde to look at it closer.

“That little…. Cartman. This was Cartman.”

“It came with a message that explained…” Stan looked up again, seeing the brunette trying to find the words as he took his phone back “Well, it said that you and Wendy spend some time doing… ‘extracurricular activities’ and that Stan has no idea about it.”

“Well, I do have an idea about it, and it’s a fucking lie.” Stated Stan crossing his arms, glancing at Kyle who was visibly fuming.

“We know it’s a lie.” Said Token without hesitation, Clyde nodded next to him “But everybody outside our two groups doesn’t, that’s why they’re staring at you.”

“Awesome. Whatever, Wendy always says it’s better to ignore Cartman. This will die on its own, I guess.”

“No, fuck this.” Kyle quickly grabbed what he needed from his locker and slammed it shut, storming down the hall. ”That asshole is gonna hear from me.”

Token sighed and walked away as well to head to his first class, Stan excusing himself to go find Wendy. Kenny and Clyde shrugged their shoulders and headed to class themselves, Kenny speaking up as they walked.

“You guys seemed very sure that it wasn’t true.”

“Duh. Aren’t you? I wonder why Cartman is doing this but it’s impossible that Kyle… I mean… You guys don’t know?” Clyde looked at his blond friend biting his lip, hesitating for a moment.

“You’re talking about David.”

“So you do know!” the brunette’s face lit up, happy that he didn’t say anything he shouldn’t. 

“I do know about them, but Kyle hasn’t told us. I don’t think Stan and Cartman know it. At the very least Stan, he has no clue.”

“I see… Maybe they should come clean and tell everyone, this would die instantly.”

“Yeah, maybe… That’s their choice though, nothing we can really do.”

Kenny shrugged deciding he shouldn’t get mixed up with it and silently agreed. On their way, they passed Stan, who had found Wendy and was leaning against the locker next to hers.

“Hey… I think we need to talk…”

“Hey, Stan.” She greeted him with a tired voice, not looking at him.

“Have you heard?”

“About this new Cartman bullshit? Yes, I’ve heard. Bebe sent me the video yesterday. Don’t tell me you believe it.”

“Of course not! I trust you. And I trust him. I want you to know that”

“I know. Besides, you’ve been complaining about Kyle spending all his time with David now, so you know he wasn’t with me. You barely talk about anything else lately.“ Wendy closed her locker and his boyfriend took her hand, both starting to head to class. “We do need to talk but… It hardly seems appropriate now.”

“Appropriate? What is it?”

Wendy didn’t reply immediately, walking with her eyes on the ground. Stan tried to focus on her to avoid the looks they were getting.

“Nothing important, don’t worry about it too much. Are you going to be okay with these rumors going around?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine. Will you? If you want me to go kick his ass, just say the word.”

“That’s appreciated but unnecessary. Besides, I have a feeling Kyle will take care of this one.”

“He didn’t look happy, that’s for sure…” They arrived at Wendy’s first class and Stan stopped, softly cupping her face in his hands. “I’m happy you know I trust you. Don’t worry about Cartman, okay? He’s an idiot.” She nodded and Stan leaned down to kiss, smiling at her before walking away. “I better hurry or I’ll be late. Love you.”

Wendy sadly watched him run off, waving a little. She joined her friends wondering what she should do, if she and Stan split now it would only fuel the fire. But then again, maybe it would help the boys get together.

“Goddamint…”

-

Cartman and Kyle were not in class, they were sitting outside the principal’s office. PC Principal’s office. PC Principal and Strong Woman eventually grew tired of hiding their relationship, especially the older their kids got, now 7, and when the High School principal retired, they decided to take the most logical step. One of them resigned so they would officially stop being co-workers. Strong Woman took charge of Elementary and PC Principal moved to High School.

They were called inside and even though the man was wearing shades, Kyle could tell he was rolling his eyes. They took a sit in front of the desk, Cartman making a show of his bloody nose. 

“Okay, boys. What happened?” 

Cartman instantly began fake-crying accusing Kyle of assaulting him for no reason other than being violent making the redhead pinch the bridge of his nose, patiently waiting for him to finish and praying that his patience resisted until then. Lucky for him, PC Principal raised a hand and made him shut up.

“Kyle, your turn.”

“He has taken pictures and shot a video of me without consent and has distributed it, also without consent, along with lies. That is slander.”

“So you did punch him.”

“I did punch him, yes.”

“Kyle, you know we have a strict no-violence policy, I can’t allow this to go unpunished.”

“What?!” Cartman laughed as Kyle looked at the principal feeling highly offended. “But you have a yes-bullying policy. Is that it? And everybody knows he has harassed repeatedly for being a Jew, so I guess you’re also lenient with anti-Semitism. Not to mention, his other victim is Wendy Testaburger, our female Student Body President, this is also a case of sexism.”

“Student Body Slut.” Mumbled Cartman coughing into his hand.

“See? None of this seems very PC.”

“Okay, that’s enough. Your parents have been called and they’ll be here to pick you up. I suggest you two take the rest of the day. Eric, no bullying and no harassing allowed. You cannot spread false rumors about other people.” 

“Hey! Who says they’re false?”

“They’re false and you know it fatass, stop it.”

“I said that’s enough. Kyle, no physical assault, even if provoked. Next time this happens you’ll both be suspended. Now go outside and wait for your parents.” 

They glared at each other but got up and left, sitting outside again. 

“You know, there is no stopping this rumor.” Said Cartman with a triumphant smile.

“Some people may keep those suspicions, sure, but it’ll be fine as long as you stop spreading it. You were literally telling that bullshit to a group of people.”

“And what if I do? You can’t touch me.”

“Maybe. But I’m not going to be the one kicking your ass next time. Wendy is. You know she can. I will do something that it’ll hurt you more.” Kyle said those words as coldly as he could, Cartman suspiciously looked up and down his face.

“What are you gonna do?”

“Well, I’m not gonna tell you in advance. But if you don’t find someone else to screw over, you’re going to find out. Go make one of your schemes to make money or something.”

Cartman’s name was called so he got up and left, leaving Kyle alone waiting for his mother. He sighed praying that this would go away, although his outburst probably wasn’t going to help. He didn’t care about it that much though, what worried him was Wendy’s announcement about leaving Stan. He needed to be there for him but with his already full schedule, it was going to be hard to fit everything and keep his grades up. He knew that the students who would be named valedictorian that year were either him or Wendy, and he couldn’t afford to slip up. He felt like soon he would need to make some choices, and sacrifice something in his life. The question was, what would it be?


	5. The Plan

_”So, how is he doing?”_

.

Kyle stepped outside the farm, wrapping himself a bit tighter with the big, dark green cardigan he had borrowed from Shelley. He hadn’t planned on staying the night so he hadn’t grabbed extra layers and now that the sun had set it was chilly so he needed the cardigan. At least that’s what he planned on telling Stan if he asked. A couple of weeks had gone by and Cartman’s bruise had finally disappeared. As the alleged adultery between Wendy and Kyle stopped being a novelty, things slowly went back to normal. They still heard the occasional taunting comment but after Wendy confirmed Kyle’s threats to Cartman, something that Kyle secretly thanked her for, the brunette seemed to think better about spreading that rumor. That meant that Wendy felt like the moment had arrived, and she had finally done it, she broke up with Stan.

Stan had reacted exactly the way Kyle expected him to, he completely shut down. So, Kyle had gone to the Tegridy’s Farm straight from class to find his friend laying on his bed, hiding from the world. He had spent more than an hour rubbing his back, trying to make him feel better. He loved Stan but he had been through this so many times that David’s call had arrived like fallen from Heaven.

.

“Not great…” Kyle sighed looking up at Stan’s window before walking up a bit further, hoping he didn’t lose reception. “David, I’ve been thinking… Stan is feeling pretty down right now, and he’s going to be for a while. Probably.”

_“Please, I give it a month, tops. After that he either gets back with Wendy or gets over it.”_

“I know… But still, he’s in a very low place right now. Wouldn’t you do the same for Craig it happened to him?”

_”Right, because Tweek would totally dump Craig. Please.”_

“Riiight, because _Craig_ would totally dump Tweek.” 

_”Fine, fine, they’re both crazy in love. My bad.”_

“That’s it, you give up? Pussy.”

.

Kyle smiled when he heard David laugh on the other side of the phone, relaxing a bit for the first time in the whole day.

.

“Since we’re talking about them… Tweek told me about that little vacation you and Craig were planning.”

_“Oh… And you want to…….”_

“Raincheck?”

_“Of course…”_

“I’m sorry… I just…” 

" _I know, I know. Don’t worry about it. But we’re going to see each other, don’t even try to deny it. And baby, we’re gonna leave your footprints on the ceiling, you can be sure of that._ " 

.

It was Kyle’s turn to laugh, hugging himself against the cold.

.

“Sounds good to me.”

_”I’m sure it does, you know you love it. Will you call me tomorrow?”_

“As soon as I wake up. Promise.”

_“Alright, you promised! Good night, gorgeous.”_

“Good night… hot stuff.”

.

Kyle hung up and stared at his phone, feeling weird. It felt so unfamiliar to behave like that with someone. Seeing someone intimately like that, the calls, the texts, the nicknames… He liked it. He had never felt like that, like he was the most important thing to someone as if he was the _only_ thing that mattered. But it was time to get back to his normal life, comforting Stan while he cried for Wendy.

He texted his parents that he would stay and he made his way back to the room, Stan was exactly where he had left him, laying down on the bed with his face buried in the pillow. The black-haired turned his head to look at him when he entered with a sniff.

.

“Who was that on the phone?”

“Mom. She said it’s okay for me to stay. How are you holding up?”

.

Stan sat up rubbing his eyes, absent-mindedly looking over him and pointing at the cardigan.

.

“Is that Shelley’s?”

“No. Yes. I was cold. I’m sorry, I’ll put it back.”

“It’s okay, she barely uses it so she won't notice. It looks better on you anyway.” He let himself fall, laying on his back this time. “I’m done thinking about her. I’m done feeling anything for her. I’m done feeling, period.”

“This will get better; you know how it goes.”

“I don’t know… I’m tired of this. I am.” 

“We need to take your mind off of it. Come on, what do you wanna do? We can play something, catch up on shows, try to prank your drunk dad… throw stones at cars? This farm is in the middle of nowhere but one still goes by everyone in a while.”

“Yeah… you’re right. We’re on a farm. A weed farm.” Stan got up with a new face of determination. “I know exactly what I’ll do.” 

“What? No! Absolutely not.” Kyle stood up and grabbed his arm keeping him from leaving the room. “We’re not doing pot, you hear me?”

“Please, Kyle? I really need this right now. You don’t have to, but I’m doing this.”

“No!” Stan tried to reach the door again and Kyle pulled him by the arm still in his grasp, grabbing his face and squishing both his cheeks with one hand. “Listen to me, Stan Marsh. I’m not letting you do this because of some girl. Firstly, because I already have enough of smelling this shit off Kenny and Craig. And second, because I’m not letting you kill your neurons. You’re going to college next year, and trust me, you’ll need each and every one of them.”

“……. Fine.” 

.

Stan glared at him but gave up, waiting for Kyle to release him. As soon as he did, he went to his dresser and rummaged around in the lowest drawer until he found his hidden treasure. He raised a bottle of scotch with a triumphant smile.

.

“There. This is legal so it’s fine, right?”

“Actually, alcohol is more damaging to your body and…”

.

Stan ignored him completely and went towards his window, opening it and signaling to the redhead to follow him outside before stepping out onto the roof. Kyle sighed and followed him, grateful for the extra layer Shelley’s cardigan provided. He sat down next to Stan that was already unscrewing the bottle open and bringing it to his lips, moaning in relieve as soon as the golden liquid hit his tongue.

.

“May I point out that getting drunk on a roof is not a good idea?” mumbled Kyle in resignation, watching his friend drink.

“No, you may not. Look, I need my brain to shut the fuck up so this is happening. Want some?” 

.

Stan extended his arm and offered him the bottle that Kyle grabbed taking a small sip, grimacing at the undiluted alcohol. He thought at least one of them should remain sober but he knew that letting Stan drink alone would only make him feel worse. Stan used the moment to take out his pack of cigarettes, lighting one up and offering the packet to Kyle. The redhead scowled at him, debating between allowing him his grieving routine and not enabling his bad habits.

.

“Come on, I know you smoke with David. I can smell it.”

“Alright, alright…” 

.

Kyle took one and put it between his lips, accepting the lighter that Stan was handing out to him. It took him a couple of tries, his finger already starting to get a bit rigid from the cold. He knew from that camping trip with David that he would have to warm the lighter in his closed fist if he wanted to have another one later. And he did have a couple more in the time they were there, trying to silently comfort his friend as they laid down watching the sky, Stan rambling about how he was trying to do everything right this time, spending time with her, supporting her with the college essays, standing in dressing rooms with her purse and clothes when she was shopping, listening to whatever gossip she was mad about.

His voice gradually grew slurred and lazier and Kyle finally got up and helped Stan get back inside the room. Stan suddenly sparked up to life, looking at him as if he had some kind of epiphany.

.

“Dude! Let’s go dancing!”

“The fuck are you talking about.”

“Yes! We’ll go to the bar, meet a couple of girls, get ourselves some fun. Uh? How does that sound? Fuck Wendy, we can do better!”

“Yes, that sounds nice.” Stan started dancing in the middle of the room to the beat of a music only he was hearing and Kyle smiled sweetly at the scene. “Why don’t we take a moment to decide on a plan to pick up those girls, um?”

.

He gently led his friend towards the bed, the black-haired boy wobbly falling on it. Kyle sat down on it with his legs crossed leaning against the headboard, putting a pillow on his legs, accommodating it in the space they formed. It took only a light pull to make Stan fall down, his head landing on the pillow.

.

“No, no, I don’t wanna fall asleep…”

“I know Stan, don’t worry. Let’s just rest five minutes to regain strength and we’ll go pick up some girls.”

“Yeah… Okay… Just five minutes though.”

“Mhmm… Listen… ” Kyle started brushing Stan’s hair away from his forehead, getting his fingers between his friend’s black locks as he started to sing in a soft, low voice. “ _Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens… Brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things…_ “ Kyle was lovingly massaging Stan’s head with his fingertips, watching him fall asleep with a sad smile. The last few weeks had been a bit crazy for him but he couldn’t deny how much he loved his now drunkenly asleep best friend. And he loved how he could never stay awake to finish the song.

He would never leave him alone. 

-

Kenny and Cartman finally had their trays of food and headed towards their table, today shared with Craig’s group, after an argument the brunette had with Wendy.

After their break-up Wendy had dedicated herself to her causes, filling the time she used to dedicate to Stan with new activities and things to defend. One of them was trying to change the food they had for lunch again after watching Jamie Oliver shows for a few days. 

The two arrived at the table and Kenny stayed up for a moment, clapping his hands loudly together to get everybody’s attention as Cartman sat down next to Clyde, still grumbling to himself. 

.

“Okay everyone, listen up! We need to talk.”

“What is it?” asked Kyle after swallowing his mouthful of Mac and Cheese, comfortably sitting between Stan and David.

“This year’s Spring Break! We don’t have class from the 14th of March to the 23rd. And my birthday is the 22nd, soo….”

“So what?” snapped Cartman still in a bad mood.

“So, my birthday falls on Spring Break this year, we have to do something! Go somewhere, get fucked up! PARTY!”

“Camping? All of us could go, it would be fun.” suggested Stan still with the conversation he had with David in the bathroom a while ago in his mind. Now that Wendy broke up with him, he desperately wanted his best friend back. If they all did something together those two wouldn’t be alone. The Mexican said they would go with Craig and Tweek, which meant they would bound to be alone a lot whenever the couple got busy with each other. As if on cue, David spoke up.

“We had plans for the week, maybe we can throw a party on the weekend?”

“What? No! It’s Kenny’s birthday, and it falls on Spring Break! We have to do something for the week! Right, Kenny?”

“Thank you, Stan.” Answered the blond with a smile. “Yes, we have to do something!”

“What’s the matter, Stan? Now that you’re single you need something to do?” taunted Cartman with a grin. “At least nobody can cheat on you now.”

“Fuck you Cartman, I’m still not talking to you.”

“Guys, focus!” Kenny clapped to get their attention again, “Stan, you said camping?”

“Not camping, please.” Said Kyle trying too to get back on topic. “Maybe we can get an apartment? Between all of us, it should be cheaper.”

“I’m not that much of a fan of sleeping in the woods either.” Added Clyde taking a sip from his water. ”The weather is getting better, maybe we could rent a cabin? Kind of a middle ground?”

“Oh, yeah!” Kenny smiled at him, excited with the idea. “That sounds awesome!”

“You’re fucking poor, Kenny.” Said Cartman crossing his arms. “How do you plan on paying for it?”

“I’m not poor, you idiot. My parents are. And unlike you, not having a mommy that gives in to my every whim has made me a functional member of society, not a parasite.”

“Well said, Kenny.” Kyle chuckled glancing at Cartman, who simply rolled his eyes.

“Exactly.” Kenny put his hands on his hips, looking proud of himself. “Unlike you, I work. I have enough saved to pay my part.” His proud smile slowly faded as realization hit him. “Oh, shit. That’s true, I work.”

“Don’t worry about it, Ken.” Said David waving a hand at him. “I’ll talk to my folks, I’m sure they’ll give you days off for your birthday. They fucking love you.”

“Yes! Thank you, man.” Kenny got his smile back, raising his fists with pure happiness. “Everyone is okay with that, then? Sharing rent for a cabin?”

.

Everybody started to agree, getting their phones out to search for a cabin that could house all of them and wasn’t too expensive when Token raised his hands, getting everyone’s attention.

.

“If we’re doing this, my family has a cabin in Dillon, right next to the Dillon Reservoir. We wouldn’t need to pay rent so we can just pitch in for food, drinks, and whatever we want to do when we’re there.”

“Token… You don’t have to, really…”

.

Kenny looked at him biting his lip. He wanted to accept but something in him was keeping his mouth shut. The older he grew the more difficult it became for him to accept big things. Token seemed to guess what was on his mind.

.

“Don’t even worry about it, man. It’s your birthday, we love you. Let’s make this happen.” 

.

The blond gave in and jumped on him, kissing the black boy all over the face.

.

“Oh my God! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Okay, okay, dude, chill.” Token tried to push him away with a hand on the blond’s face to prevent him to keep kissing him and Kenny eventually released him, sitting down with a beaming smile.

“If we’re doing this,” said Clyde raising his fork. “There is an extremely important point to discuss.”

“What, what is it?” asked Kenny irradiating happiness.

“Girls! Should we invite them, yes or no?”

.

A confusing mix of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ emerged from the table, Clyde, Kenny, and David saying ‘Yes’, Craig and Stan saying ‘No’, Kyle, Tweek and Token staying silent.

.

“Okay, let’s vote!” exclaimed Clyde happily seeing the odds were in his favor.

“No!” Stan put his fork noisily down. “If we invite the girls, we’ll have to include Wendy. Not happening.”

.

A blanket of silence fell over the table for a few seconds before Clyde broke it.

.

“You know, we can always pick up some girls. Kenny is up for the challenge, right?”

“Hells, yeah! And Stan could use something new for a change.” Agreed Kenny quickly. “Wait, how many rooms does it have?”

“Not in the mood Kenny, but thanks for the thought.”

“It has seven rooms; I assume Craig and Tweek will be sharing one.” Explained Token, Tweek nodded resting his head on Craig’s shoulder. “So we have to decide how do we split the other 6. I’m taking my usual room, so it’s actually 5.”

“I’m not fucking sharing.” Said Cartman as if it was out of the question.

“Kenny and I will need a private room too.” Observed Clyde with a raised finger. “There will probably be some kind of competition going on.”

“So we have two left.” Said Tweek counting with his fingers.

“Kyle and I can share.” Stan and David said those words at the same time and looked at each other.

“Oh, that’s no problem.” Said David reacting first, nudging Kyle with his elbow. “We’re close friends, we can share a room.”

“That’s my best friend you’re talking about.” Replied Stan staring daggers at him. “I think _we_ should share a room, it makes more sense.”

“It’s okay, Stan. You should use this chance! Wendy is a great girl and all but you should finally move on! Meet a new girl, bring her to your room, create some new, exciting memories…?”

“Yes! We can totally find a girl for you!” Clyde barged in, oblivion to the tension building up between the two.

“Thanks.” Stan deadpanned his answer, bringing his water to his mouth. He didn’t like how the conversation was going. “But there is no need, it’s too soon. I don’t need a girl.”

“Don’t hold yourself back, Stan. You need to get over Wendy, it’s time.” Said David with a sympathetic smile that Stan did not perceive that way.

“Well, why don’t we let Kyle, my best friend, decide?”

.

Both of them, along with Clyde and Kenny turned towards the redhead that shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not really enjoying the attention.

.

“Eh… Well…” Kyle alternated looking at both of them, David raising an eyebrow stating very clearly without words what his intentions were and Stan giving him puppy eyes. “I think… we can compromise? I think I should stay with Stan; I want to be there for him. But, if he happens to meet a girl he wants to be intimate with, I’m out of there, so it’d be great if I could spend the night in David’s room and let Stan have his privacy. Sounds good?”

“Ha! Yes, sounds great.” Stan leaned back with a victory sip of his water; David smiled not feeling deterred of getting his holiday moments with Kyle.

“Great, yeah… Don’t worry Stan, we’ll find a girl for you.”

.

Kyle could swear he heard Stan growl but the black-haired boy took a deep breath and smiled, unconsciously moving a bit closer to Kyle.

.

“So… how are we going to get there?” said Kenny cutting through the dense air. “We have enough cars?”

“Yes, we have mine, Craig’s and Stan’s, we’re good.” Replied Token grateful that the moment was over.

.

The remaining time was spent discussing logistics, how they were going to split in the cars and how they were going to get alcohol there.

-

It was after the last class ended and everyone headed their own way that Stan was sitting on his car gripping the wheel with both hands, fuming. He opened the window and smoked a cigarette hoping it would calm him down enough to drive. David had gone too far, of course Kyle would be sharing a room with Stan. Who the fuck did he think he was? 

Now that he didn’t have Wendy to occupy his time it was even more noticeable to him how increasingly unavailable Kyle was becoming, and he hated it. He could understand that Kyle needed to study and keep his grades up to get into a good college, Wendy had always been like that too. He also knew how much Kyle loved basketball, it made Stan happy seeing his best friend enjoy something so much. It was the time he spent with David that was growing, that was what killed him. That meant Kyle was deliberately choosing to hang out with David instead of with him. But not in Spring Break, he wasn’t going to let David whisk him away. He just needed to not flirt with girls, which would be easy because he did feel it was too soon.

He got out of the car huffing through his nose, heading towards the trees at the back of the building. He didn’t want to go home and be alone with his thoughts, he needed to talk to Kenny and he knew exactly where to find him. He went into the woods walking until he smelled weed, it took only a couple of seconds to locate Kenny and Craig blazing it up in a small clearing. He paced from side to side of the clearing in front of them for a while as the other two followed him with their eyes. 

As he soon as he stopped and huffed, sitting down next to Kenny, Craig stoop up seeing his moment of peace obnoxiously broken.

.

“Ugh, bitching Marsh, I’m leaving.” 

“Sure, say hi to your boyfriend for me!” snapped Stan angrily, Craig flipped him off over his shoulder without stopping or turning around, disappearing among the trees.

“So… what’s up?” asked Kenny taking out his grinder and rolling paper, the joint he’d shared with Craig was dead and it looked like Stan needed one.

“I’ve had enough. _Enough_. That… that friend-stealing bastard! Did you see that shit earlier? He tried to get Kyle to himself!”

.

That was enough to allow Kenny to guess who he was talking about and what the issue was. He ground some weed and poured it in his hand, breaking a cigarette in two with his free one and mixing them together.

.

“Don’t be dramatic, Stan. I agree with Clyde and David, you need to find a new girl and get over Wendy once and for all. A nice girl that you don’t fall in love with. Just have some fun. You know, like a palate cleanser.”

“I don’t want to! Okay? I have bigger problems right now.”

“David being Kyle’s friend is a problem for you?”

“Yes, yes, it is. Kyle is _my_ best friend, he’s trying to steal him away from me.”

“That’s not true, come on.” Kenny finished rolling and lit up the joint, handing it to Stan after a deep puff. “They’ve got along since the beginning, Kyle was his first friend, remember? He was the one showing him around and standing up to Cartman and shit. Why does it bother you know?”

“Because… Because! Something… something’s off, something is… different. I can feel it. Kyle is choosing him over me, he never did that before.” Stan’s demeanor changed from angry to sad, his eyes focused on some point in the ground. “We always spent Spring Break together…”

“So? We’re spending it together this year too. And my birthday, remember that part.”

“Of course I remember that part, Kenny. But… I told you, David’s trying to steal him away, he’s trying to keep Kyle to himself. When I was still with Wendy, David apparently talked to her. He convinced her to go with me the whole week somewhere so he could take Kyle on a trip. Now that the situation has changed he didn’t waste a second before trying to get Kyle to be his roommate.”

.

Kenny bit his lip preventing himself from saying anything he shouldn’t, he wanted Kyle to come out to them, to Stan, when he was ready. There wasn’t much he could say to calm Stan’s paranoia, it’s not like he was entirely wrong. The black-haired boy let out a big cloud of smoke, a frown on his face.

.

“Stan… maybe it’s not the worst thing? You were the same way with Wendy, I don’t remember Kyle ever protesting about how much time you spent with her.”

“It’s not the same! Wendy was my girlfriend; David is just some friend.” Kenny rolled his eyes and rubbed his face in frustration. Fortunately, Stan was smoking the joint all by himself and was already getting high enough not to notice. “He’s gonna try again, I just know it. I need to do something before the trip to make sure Kyle doesn’t want to be with him. I have to make them argue and pull away from each other a bit.”

“Dude, I don’t think that’s such a good idea…”

“The question is, how?” asked Stan thinking out loud, completely ignoring what Kenny said. The blond sighed lighting up a cigarette since his friend was obviously in his own world at the moment. Stan hissed when he felt a burning sensation on his fingers, dropping the remains of the already consumed blunt. “Fucking weed…” Suddenly, he gasped loudly and stared wide-eyed at Kenny, smiling as if he’d had some kind of revelation. “Weed! That’s it!”

“What…?”

“Kyle doesn’t like this shit! He always gets angry with me if I smoke! If he caught David doing it, Kyle would get pissed at him!”

“Dude, David doesn’t smoke pot.”

“But Kyle could find some on him, that’d make him think that David does smoke it. Obviously, David would deny that he does it or that weed is his, he would say that he doesn’t know where it came from, all the shitty excuses someone guilty would give, and Kyle would think that David is lying to him. You know how much Kyle hates feeling like he’s being lied to; they would fight for sure. Oh my God, it’s perfect!”

“No, no, it’s not. That’s the weed talking. So many things could go wrong. What if Kyle believes him? What if they do fight but Kyle finds out the truth? Dude, are you seriously this jealous?”

“I’m not jealous!”

“Nooo, of course not. This doesn’t sound like it at all.”

“Whatever, we’re doing this.”

“We?” Kenny asked suspiciously, looking him up and down.

“Yes, we. I know how to do this but I need your help. Listen, I asked Kyle to hang out tomorrow but apparently, David is going to his place to help him with an essay for Spanish class.”

“Oh, yeah. I’ve been meaning to ask him myself.”

“I know Kyle’s parents will be with Ike at some kind of state-level competition so they’ll be alone. It’s the perfect time. Tomorrow is Friday so you’re working at the restaurant, right? I can’t risk bringing drugs to school, I’ll have to do it at the restaurant. I know they’re meeting around 9 and David goes there to help in the afternoon, it’s plenty of time.” Stan stopped for a second, tapping his lips in thought before lighting a cigarette, needing to have his hands occupied. “I will take some of my father’s weed and come to the restaurant. I need you to plant it on him, slip it in his pocket, or something.”

“What? No! No way. I like the job and they treat me well. I make a fair amount of extra with the tips as well as food. I’m not risking my job, man. I love you but no, absolutely not.”

“Please! I need your help, Kenny, please!” 

.

Stan looked at him begging with his red eyes, Kenny could see the desperation in them. He loved Stan and Kyle; they were the best friends a guy could ask for. It was hard for him to deny them anything, especially when they looked as needy and lost as Stan did at that moment. He debated with himself if he should play along with this awful idea, David was a good guy and Kenny liked him, even more since he had the job thanks to him. He sighed deeply, wondering what was the worst that could happen. He doubted that the plan would work or that David would let it be a problem for long if it did, but something told him that Stan would only get worse.

.

“Fine, fine… Just come by tomorrow and we’ll see what we can do. If anything happens though, you’re taking full responsibility.”

“Yes! Sure thing, dude!” Stan grinned in victory, putting an arm behind his head and laying on the ground, daydreaming about Kyle and David in a heated argument. “I wish it was tomorrow already.”


	6. Cherry Pie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a moment in the chapter where a song plays, I'll leave it here so it can help imagine the scene:
> 
> Warrant - Cherry Pie
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjyZKfdwlng
> 
> -

The next day had finally arrived and it was almost 9 when Stan made it to the restaurant ‘Nueva Familia’, still called that even though they had been in town for years. He was a bit nervous but his determination to get David in trouble with Kyle was stronger. He wasn’t exactly proud of what he intended to do, but damn, he was doing it. He only had one week until Spring Break so he had to do this now. 

He took a deep breath and went into the restaurant, spotting Kenny cleaning a nearby table. The blond finished and went up to him glancing at the clock above the bar to check the time. 

“Hey there. You cut it close, he’s about to leave.”

“I know it’s late.” Replied Stan with a groan. “I stepped on Towelie without noticing and he screamed, so my father caught me. He gave me a long freaking lecture.” 

“That’s it? Your father caught you stealing weed from him and all you got was a lecture.”

“No, he made me work for him all afternoon to learn ‘the value of the work needed to offer an essential product to people who need it or just want to give themselves a break’ or some shit like that. I’m actually doing deliveries all over town. Since it’s Friday night there are quite a few. I bet the fucker is just lying on the couch drinking right now.”

“Meh, still not bad if you ask me.”

They got distracted by David’s voice, the door of the kitchen open as was he saying goodbye to his mother with his jacket and backpack already on him. Stan jumped taking a little bag of weed from his pocket and tried to pass it to Kenny, who pushed it back to him.

“A little late for that. I’ll distract him, you be quick about it.” Kenny whispered to him before turning to David once he was out. “Hey! You’re leaving already?”

“Yep. Hey, Stan! Here to get some food?” Greeted David with a smile. Stan forced one trying to be polite although he hated the other’s happy expression knowing where he was going.

“Just popping in to check on Kenny, maybe grab a soda.” He replied thankful that his jacket was hiding the ‘100% Hemp’ Tegridy T-shirt his father made him wear, that would be far too conspicuous.

“Good!”

“David, could you help me for a sec before leaving?” asked Kenny patting Stan on the shoulder. “Your dad wanted me to get a couple of beer crates from the storage but they’re a bit heavy.”

“Sure, no problem.” David left his backpack on the floor and disappeared with Kenny behind the ‘Staff Only’ door.

Stan hesitated for a second, approaching David’s bag. He only had one week until Spring Break, this was his one chance to do this if he was going to. 

Stan took a deep breath looking around a feeling bit paranoid. The people at the restaurant seemed engrossed in their meals or conversation filling the place with the noise of cutlery and people’s voices, David’s father was on the other of the room taking a table’s order.

_Now or never._

Stan grabbed the bag and opened it as quickly as possible, the little baggie of weed still in his hand. But when he looked inside thinking where he could place it so Kyle would find it, he froze. He expected to see a book, or papers, or school stuff of some kind but that was definitely not what was inside that bag. None of its contents should ever be brought to a school. Why would David need any of that to go to Kyle’s? Maybe he was meeting someone after? Maybe… That had to be it, right? His brain had just stopped working, unable to process the information his eyes were giving it. He wasn’t exactly sure how much time he spent there frozen in place unsure of what to do or what to think but suddenly he heard Kenny’s voice coming back and he quickly zipped the bag closed, bolting out of there. 

The cold air of the night slapped him in the face and he took a deep breath, walking away as fast as he could since he knew David would be stepping out in seconds and he didn’t want to face him. As he walked away leaving Shi Tpa Town, only one thought seemed able to occupy his mind.

_What the FUCK._

David took his bag waving goodbye to Kenny and left the restaurant with a beaming smile on his face. It took him about 10 minutes to reach Kyle’s house, feeling a familiar tingling sensation going up his spine when he rang the doorbell. Kyle opened the door and the Latino boy gave him a seductive smile, stepping into the house.

“Hey, David!”

“Hey, gorgeous.”

Kyle closed the door and David leaned down to capture his lips in a kiss, comfortable knowing that they were alone. 

“You smell good.” He mumbled against Kyle’s lips.

“Well, I took a shower knowing you were coming. A very _thorough_ shower.” He replied with a teasing smile, making David bit his lip just imagining it.

“I brought something.”

He slid one of the straps of his back down his arm until he could swing it in front of him and opened it, taking out the bottle of alcohol he was carrying and showing it to Kyle.

“Tequila?” asked Kyle with a raised eyebrow, looking at the bottle of Jose Cuervo the other was holding.

“Tequila. And a good one.” Confirmed David with a grin. “Do you have salt and a lemon?”

“Sure.” Kyle chuckled and headed to the kitchen. “Let’s do this.”

-

More than two hours had passed, Stan just left Butter’s home after delivering their order to his parents. He walked absent-mindedly heading to Craig’s, his last one. He hadn’t been able to concentrate since he had left the restaurant, an ominous, suspecting feeling putting pressure on his chest. He just couldn’t take his mind off it, off what he had seen in David’s bag. The first thing that caught his eyes was the bottle of alcohol. But that wasn’t _too_ weird. But there also was a box of condoms in the bag. There was lube. Things that made no sense for them to be there. Why would David need that if he was going to see Kyle?

The implications of that were just too mind-blowing for him to even consider. He knew Kyle wasn’t gay, they were seventeen, he would’ve told him at some point, right? And as far as he knew, neither was David. So, if he thought about it, David was probably meeting someone after leaving Kyle’s. That was all there was to it. As he walked past Kyle’s house, he couldn’t help but look at it. The light on his window upstairs was on, so Kyle was still up. It wasn’t even midnight, so it made sense. 

His body stopped. His mind had formed a theory and he wanted to stick by it, the other possibilities too crazy to entertain. But his body wouldn’t move. He just needed to know, to know for sure that it was absurd to even consider… He slowly made his way to the window, peeking inside. Nobody was on that floor, he could see some stuff in the background, on the table, the bottle among them. So, they used at the very least the alcohol. That was okay, it was okay, that wasn’t weird nor suspicious. He stepped back, it was obvious that nobody was there. He looked up at Kyle’s window again, the curtain was slightly open. Just enough to see inside. But he couldn’t do that, could he? He shouldn’t, that’s for sure.

He bit his lip in hesitation, debating with himself as he eyed a nearby tree. Music started coming from the room, not the kind that Kyle would listen to alone. _Fuck it_. Stan looked up and down the street, fortunately deserted, and climbed up the tree as the song started.

_She’s my Cherry Pie,  
Cool drink of water  
Such a sweet surprise,_

_Tastes so good  
Make a grown man cry,  
Sweet Cherry Pie! ___

__

__Stan frowned recognizing the song because of his father, it was an old song, from the late 80s or early 90s. Kyle wasn’t into rock music, why was he listening to that? Just as the lyrics began again, he made it up to a thick branch high enough to peek inside his friend’s window, eyes going wide at the sight._ _

__David was sitting on the edge of Kyle’s bed, hands behind himself supporting his weight comfortably, watching with a smile the redhead dancing in the middle of the room. And Kyle… Kyle was… he was dancing, clearly a bit drunk. He was swinging his hips slowly from side to side while removing his shirt. He threw it on the floor and moved towards David with confident steps, playfully kicking away something on the floor, his body moving seductively the whole time. David laughed but Stan didn’t see it, Kyle’s dancing so shocking and alluring that he was unable to tear his eyes from it._ _

__The redhead was grabbing his own hair as he slowly dropped to the floor following the music, smirking at David. Kyle moved closer sliding on his knees, his hands landing on David’s thighs caressing his way up, mouth following the lyrics. He stood up and turned around sitting on David’s lap, back resting on the taller boy’s chest. Stan’s mouth fell open when he saw Kyle moving his hips in circles rubbing against David’s obvious erection. David put his hands on Kyle’s waist feeling up the exposed skin but the redhead pushed them away, David’s hips thrusting up a bit to get that extra contact._ _

__Kyle laughed and got up for a second, sitting on his lap again but facing him this time, grinding his hips again. He grabbed David’s shoulders, head falling back with a moan that Stan couldn’t hear because of the music. Stan could see the flush on his face though, the tightness of his grip on David’s shirt, the need in the way his hips moved. He looked so tiny in David's lap, so... tempting... David apparently had enough because he put a hand at the back of Kyle’s neck and pulled his face closer, kissing him passionately. He grabbed Kyle’s hips with his free hand and turned them around in one swift motion, Kyle’s back falling flat on the bed. The music was still going on but he was no longer dancing, he was circling David’s hips with his legs, shamelessly making out with him, hands tangling into the other’s dark, short hair._ _

__Stan couldn’t take it anymore, he carefully got down from his position with his hands shaking a little. He sat down with his back against the tree, trying to process what he had just witnessed. So, the things in David’s bag really were to use with Kyle. He took his phone out texting Kenny to tell him he needed to call him as soon as he got off work and got up, stumbling away from Kyle’s house so he wouldn’t be caught sitting there._ _

__The realization was slowly sinking in, that new information trying to fight his way into his mind that felt blank and heavy, unable to process it. Those images seemed burned into his brain, his heart still beating faster than normal at the memory of the way Kyle’s body moved, the way he smiled and bit his lip, the way he touched David. He wasn’t sure if what he had seen qualified as a lap-dance, but it was definitely a show, and Stan couldn’t tell which of the two was enjoying himself more, if David receiving it or Kyle himself doing it._ _

He wouldn’t have ever imagined that Kyle could behave like that, that Kyle _enjoyed_ behaving like that. But apparently, he did. And then he understood why Kyle had been behaving the way he had recently, why the ‘He never acted like that with Wendy’ comments he received from Kenny, why David was so interested in Kyle, why they wanted to do things together, to be alone. 

They weren’t friends. They were _lovers_. 

__-_ _

Kenny said goodbye to Javi, David’s father, and left the restaurant leaving him to wait the couple of tables left. He let the hood of his parka down since it was starting to feel warmer, and lit up a cigarette. He loved that feeling, however simple it may be. There was some kind of satisfaction that came over him after a day of hard work, of accomplishment. He felt happy with himself. He had to admit that working in a small town’s restaurant wasn’t the best, the hours weren’t good, the pay wasn’t great, and dealing with people was not always great, some clients were authentic assholes, and it made him grind his teeth having to smile and polite to those who clearly didn’t deserve it. But it was a good job and he loved his bosses. Carmen, David’s mom was always kind and sympathetic, and always let him take leftovers home. Javier, David’s father, was a great and hard-working guy that invited him to a drink often, and treated him like a responsible adult, something Kenny appreciated immensely. 

__He started walking down the street when he heard a voice calling out to him. He turned to see Stan sitting down against a wall nearby, shivering slightly._ _

__

__“Dude!” said Kenny surprised to see him there. “You all done with work?” it was nearly 1 in the morning, so he wasn’t surprised, but he didn’t expect to see him just waiting there._ _

__“Yeah… Oh, wait, shit! I was on my way to Craig’s, I totally forgot about it…”_ _

__

__Kenny frowned, that was the one thing Stan was doing that night, how could he forget._ _

__

“Okay…? We can go do that now, he’ll probably feel like smoking and I can get some for free.”  


“Okay…” 

__

__Stan got up and hugged himself, he had been sitting there for some time and the cold, even if not too harsh, started to get to him after a while. He walked next to Kenny while the blond ranted about his shift and the asshole clients he had to deal with that night, grateful for something to distract his thoughts although he wasn’t listening, but at least he didn’t have to talk. They finally got to Craig’s house and rang the bell, the door opened almost immediately revealing Tweek in his pajamas with a glass of water in his hand._ _

__

__“Hey, guys! What do you need? It’s kind of late.”_ _

__“Were you expecting a delivery? Stan here apparently forgot.”_ _

__“Oh, yeah! Craig’s been a bit upset about that.” His eyes fell on the black-haired boy who was quietly looking at the floor. “Everything okay, Stan…?”_ _

__“He’s been awfully quiet, don’t expect too much of an answer from him.” Answered Kenny in his place._ _

__“Okay… Well, come on up. I was just getting a glass of water, money’s upstairs.”_ _

__

__They followed Tweek up the stairs to Craig’s room, who was laying in bed busy with his phone. He looked up and frowned when seeing Stan and Kenny standing there._ _

__

__“I fucking hope you’re bringing my fucking weed because it’s about fucking time.”_ _

__“Yes, sorry….” Stan put his hand in the fanny pack he had strapped to his hips and took out a baggie._ _

__“Are you sure you’re okay, Stan? It’s obvious something is bothering you.” Asked Tweek with a worried expression, sitting next to Craig on the bed as the black-haired boy accepted the little baggie and started to roll one immediately._ _

__“He did something bad earlier, don’t worry about it too much.” Answered Kenny as he sat down on the foot of the bed._ _

__“I didn’t do it… I opened his bag and once I saw what was inside I just… I froze, I couldn’t…” Stan’s voice was small, his mind still being assaulted with imagery of moaning Kyles._ _

__“What did you do? Or what did you try to do?” asked Craig putting the freshly rolled joint in his mouth, lighting it up._ _

__“He put some weed in David’s bag so he would argue with Kyle, like that can go very far.” Said Kenny rolling his eyes, realizing then what the other had said, “Wait, you didn’t? You saw his bag and couldn’t do it? What was in it? Pussy…”_ _

__“Not books, dude. There was… Alcohol… Lube… condoms…” Stan sat down on the floor resting his back against the bed, still looking very out of it with a troubled expression. He took out the bag intended for David and handed it to Kenny without looking at him, who happily accepted it. Craig laughed, puffing deeply and letting and smell of weed fill the room._ _

__“That’s why you look so traumatized?” He smiled, offering the joint to Tweek, who took it sinking farther into Craig’s side._ _

__“Well,” Kenny shrugged, kind of happy about the turn of events, “at least you know now.”_ _

__“What? You knew about it?” asked Stan in accusing manner. Tweek gave him a sympathetic smile and gave him the blunt, Stan taking a couple of deep hits before passing it on to Kenny._ _

__“About what?” asked Kenny letting the weedy smoke fill his lungs, puffing out slowly. “About David’s crush on Kyle or about Kyle’s determination to get over you?”_ _

__“What?”_ _

__“Well, it’s not like they’ve been _that_ careful. Kinda obvious, really…”_ _

__“So you knew!”_ _

__“Well, I know you guys. And I kind of accidentally saw them, so…”_ _

__“Wow, Ken. Really? Meh. It was not that much of a secret, anyway.” Agreed Craig taking the joint Kenny was handing back to him._ _

__“You knew too?!”_ _

__“David’s my best friend, of course, he told me.”_ _

__

__Stan narrowed his eyes at him but decided to ignore the comment, instead turning towards Tweek._ _

__

__“I assume you knew too then, if Craig did.”_ _

__“Well, yes… And Kyle talked to me about it, so…”_ _

__“About what?”_ _

__“About David’s moves on him. There aren’t many people around him that could give him that kind of advice, if you know what I mean.”_ _

__“And he… and he fell for them…?”_ _

__“Well, can you blame him?” asked Tweek shrugging his shoulders, taking the joint from his boyfriend’s lips. “He never had anyone, really. Then suddenly he got a hot Latino guy willing to fulfill his every wish? Every fantasy? I mean, count me in, where do I sign.”_ _

__“EXCUSE ME?!” exclaimed both Stan and Craig, looking at Tweek with surprise, but the blond seemed unfazed as Kenny laughed in the background._ _

__“What?” he asked innocently, snuggling up to Craig, who was still looking at him with a suspicious expression. “Everybody likes to feel wanted. That’s what David does for Kyle. His self-esteem has improved so much since they started seeing each other.”_ _

__

__Stan looked down, trying to consider what Tweek was saying. It was true that he felt better with himself when Wendy was with him, it made him feel like he was worth more. But she had never acted the way he had seen his best friend behave. Despite how strikingly similar Wendy and Kyle were, he had always seen the similarities between the two, Wendy had never danced or been like that for him. David was one lucky motherfucker. He had always thought that their personality was what he liked, that if his girlfriend was anything like his best friend, he was damn lucky. But now… He couldn’t help but feeling that Wendy fell a bit short._ _

__

__“So… he’s gay…? Kyle’s gay… Why wouldn’t he tell me that…?”_ _

__“He never told anyone.” Said Tweek in a calming voice. “Except me, I guess, but only because he needed someone to talk about that, someone who would listen and be able to give him advice. He’s not the first boy that has secretly come to me for that kind of thing.”_ _

__“Advice? About David?” asked Stan with a bit of confusion. “He’s been friends with him for years, Kyle knows him.”_ _

“Not… not about David, that’s not the part that… mmh… He didn’t need advice about _the guy_.” 

__“About what then?” Stan frowned and Tweek remained silent, trying to let him make the connection himself, even with pot clouding his mind. Kenny hid his smile behind the joint that he now had in his hand, the room quiet until Craig chuckled, taking the joint from him._ _

“Taking dick, Marsh. He means advice on how to take dick. And enjoy it. On a regular basis.” He turned towards Tweek with a smile, kissing his cheek. “And you’re _really good_ at it.” 

__“Thank you” Tweek giggled and kissed his boyfriend. “And now so is Kyle. If only there was love involved….”_ _

__“How to… Kyle…” Stan’s expression changed from concentration to horror, then relaxing, then going to horror again. “I think… I think I need to leave…”_ _

__“You should stay at my place tonight.” Said Kenny standing up. “It’s not like you’re sober enough to drive home, anyway.”_ _

__“I-I… Okay…”_ _

__

__Kenny helped him stand up as well, waving to the two boys on the bed._ _

__

__“Thank you, guys, we’ll take our leave now. You don’t have to get up.”_ _

__“Anytime, Kenny.” Answered Tweek with a smile, Craig nodded as a goodbye._ _

__

__Stan and Kenny left, Craig waited until he heard the front door closed behind them and sighed, turning to face Tweek with a frown._ _

__

__“What?”_ _

__“I know what you did there. I know what you’re trying.”_ _

__“Come on. He needs to start realizing shit, and he needs to start doing it fast.”_ _

__“Or not! Kyle’s a jerk but David seems happy. Maybe this is how things are meant to be.”_ _

__“Craig… I love David, but you know Stan and Kyle are meant for each other.”_ _

__“Or not! If Stan is so dumb that he doesn’t see… what he should be seeing, it’s not our problem.”_ _

__“Craig…”_ _

__“Sorry. I know you like them together, and you’ve always said that they’re meant to be and all that, but I gotta side with my boy David here.”_ _

__“…… Mmh… Ten bucks say Kyle will end up with Stan.”_ _

“Ten bucks say fuck that. I’m Team David.” Craig raised his fists making Tweek laugh. “We _can’t_ interfere, though.” 

__“Deal.”_ _

__-_ _

__The last week of classes before Spring Break had gone by very fast and very slow at the same time for Stan. He didn’t know how to deal with what he knew. He had barely talked; he had skipped all his activities after class and he had kept his interactions with Kyle to a minimum. He had had a couple of drinks every night since then, he used his normal bottle, hidden in his drawer, and was now on his emergency bottle, hidden in the closet. He wanted to drown the memories but much to his despair, drinking only seemed to potentiate them._ _

__It was now the next Friday and he was laying in bed, slightly buzzed, and trying to not let the recent events get to him, a situation he had found himself in more than once that past week. But he was weak. And it all came with a guilty excitement that just amplified every sensation._ _

__That week had been so weird… People had noticed his change in behavior, becoming silent and distracted, but he was sure that Kenny, Tweek, and Craig had said nothing about it, so everyone assumed he was brooding about Wendy breaking up with him. Kyle had assumed that as well, and had tried to cheer him up the best he could but ultimately deciding to him his space when it became obvious that Stan didn’t want his company._ _

__Still, even if he tried to put some distance between him and Kyle, he had been observing his best friend. He had been watching him, Kyle being none the wiser about Stan’s discovery. But he knew now. And now that he knew, it seemed so obvious._ _

Every interaction between Kyle and David. Every look, every smile, every pat, or casual touch. How could he have been so blind? So oblivious to what was going on? Now that he knew it felt like the truth was slapping him in the face. But he was a coward, he had been unable to confront him. Should he? If Kyle was gay… and had a _boyfriend…_ … That was such an important thing about himself that Kyle was hiding from him. Why? He wasn’t a homophobe, he never had a problem with gays, Kyle knew that. So why was Kyle hiding that from him, his super best friend? 

__He tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, landing on his back. The lack of street lights submersing his room into darkness, barely illuminated by the moonlight. That song, Cherry Pie, was ringing in his ears, the images stuck in his brain invading his conscious mind once again. He closed his eyes with a sigh, letting himself surrender to them._ _

__Once again, in his mind, he saw Kyle. Stan could clearly see him dancing, sensually moving his hips from side to side, in such an enticing was that Stan couldn’t help thinking about it again and again. But in his mind he wasn’t outside in a tree, he was in David’s place, sitting on Kyle’s bed._ _

When the redhead kneeled down it was between _his_ legs, it was _his_ body that Kyle’s hands were feeling up. When the Kyle on his mind sat on his lap and started grinding his plump ass against his clothed dick a moan escaped his lips and Stan opened his eyes realizing that he was rubbing himself over his pants, already hard. 

__It was really not the first time that week that he did that, he just couldn’t help himself. As dirty as it made him feel, he wasn’t strong enough to deny his body of what he wanted. He closed his eyes once more and was greeted by Kyle, sitting on his lap but facing him._ _

__His hand slipped inside his pajama pants as the Kyle in his mind leaned down to kiss him, still grinding his hips against him. The room filled with Stan’s heavy breathing, his mind filled with Kyle’s muffled moans, their imaginary making out getting deeper._ _

__

__“A-Ah…”_ _

__

__Stan had lowered his pants below his lips to masturbate more freely, movements unrestrained by fabric. He was no longer sure where the sounds came from, his ears ringing with Kyle’s voice and the wet little noises his hand was making, moving faster and faster on his dick, working in earnest._ _

__

__“F-Fuck… Kyle…” God, he was so close… His hand was moving even faster now, his body tensing feeling his orgasm coming closer and closer. “Shit…”_ _

__

__Stan opened his mouth, eager moans filling the room when suddenly his phone rang and his movements suddenly stopped, startled by the sound. He took his cellphone with his free hand and glanced at the screen to see who was calling, his eyes squinting at the light._ _

__It was Kyle._ _

__He hesitated for a moment but decided to answer._ _

__

“ _Hey, dude!_ ” Kyle’s voice sounded clear and focused completely different than the one resonating in Stan’s head. “ _Did I wake you up?_ ” 

__“No, I’m awake…”_ _

“ _Okay, good. Are you feeling better? You seemed really down this week._ ” 

__“I’m sorry if I was distant… Had a lot in my mind…”_ _

“ _It’s fine, dude, I get it. Don’t worry about it. I just wanted to make sure you were doing fine. You know, not overthinking shit._ ” 

__

__Stan bit his lip to trap his voice. While Kyle was talking his hand started moving again, little waves of pleasure going up his body._ _

__

__“I-I could use a distraction… I want to hear your voice… Tell me about your week…”_ _

“ _Uhm… Sure, I guess…_ ” 

__

__Stan moved the phone so the microphone wasn’t next to his mouth so Kyle wouldn’t hear him, the hand stroking his dick quickly picking up the pace as he listened to Kyle’s real voice, knowing that the redhead was on the other side of the line, his brain mixing reality and imagination, knowing that he could catch him at any moment making every sensation more powerful._ _

__That was by far the most bizarre thing he had done with Kyle, especially without the other knowing, but he couldn’t deny how turned on that was making him feel. Stan increased the vigor of his movements, his orgasm coming closer gain._ _

__

“ _Anyway, very normal week, that’s pretty much it. Your week okay?_ ” 

__“A-ha…”_ _

“ _Are you sure you’re okay…? You sound weird._ ” 

__“Y-Yes…! I’m fine…”_ _

__

__Stan arched his back in pleasure, his hips thrusting into his hand, his breathing growing heavier by the second._ _

__

“ _Okay… Anyway, we need to talk. Are you free tomorrow? You can call me when you wake up._ ” 

__“Uh…?”_ _

“ _Would you rather if I did it?_ ” 

“What…?” 

“ _Do you want me to do it…?"_ Those words got to him, Stan imagined Kyle’s hand going down, Kyle’s fingers the ones expertly stroking him, causing the stimulus to be even more intense. “ _Stan…?_ ” 

__“W-What…?”_ _

“ _You’ve been drinking, haven’t you? Stan… I’ll call you tomorrow to see if you’re awake, okay? Good night, dude._ ” 

__“N-Night…”_ _

__

__As soon as Kyle hang up, the phone fell from his hand, a loud moan escaping him as he finally climaxed, his face twisting with a mix of agony and pleasure. He barely managed to clean himself with a tissue before falling deeply asleep._ _

__Miles away, a very confused Kyle was staring at the screen of his phone. Stan’s voice sounded like… Like he was… Nah, it couldn’t be. Right? Right._ _


	7. Car Ride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did my best at describing the house, and I do use a grammar checker, but please feel free to correct me if I used any wrong words!
> 
> This chapter is a bit of a "bridge" but I hope you enjoy it :)

What the fuck was wrong with him? Stan was sitting on the roof outside his window, having woken up considerably early after a night of drinking. A cigarette was burning away in his hand, a mug filled with coffee sitting beside him, vestigial habits from his goth days. He was pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed, thinking about what he had done the previous night. It was bad enough to jerk off thinking about his _male_ best friend, but to actually include him?

That week had been so confusing for Stan. He just couldn’t help imagining certain things, things he had never considered before. Knowing that Kyle, his Kyle, his super best friend, was in a very active sexual gay relationship had really fucked him up. His mind was a mess, and he had let those thoughts get the better of him last night.

He had wondered in the past, in a completely platonic way, what it would be like to be with Kyle, thinking how much simpler it would be to date his best friend instead of Wendy. Or any girl for that matter. But that was as far as those thoughts would go, they were never sexual. Now, though… Now that he knew it was a real possibility, it made them a whole new meaning. And he wasn’t particularly appalled by them. His main question was, why not?

Why did he like the way he felt when he pictured Kyle in his arms, in a more romantic way? Did he want that? He knew he wasn’t gay, he liked girls very much. But he wasn’t even bisexual. Was he? He had always been comfortable with his own sexuality, that’s why he laughed at the jokes Cartman made about them or flirted with Tweek all the time, it wasn’t serious. 

He took a deep drag of the cigarette trying to organize his thoughts. It seemed so crazy that he was even entertaining the idea of being with another guy. Not as a joke, but for real.

… He didn’t hate it.

He had always been so comfortable with Kyle. He had embraced his friend, and kissed his cheek, and told him that he loved him. But it was always so innocent. He was happy that he had a friend he was so close to that people would make that kind of jokes. Maybe… maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to try it. It was such a real possibility though, that it scared the crap out of him. People were, in general, quick to judge and label. Was he ready to deal with that?

There was a chance these feelings were just shock, just a phase, that it would pass. Maybe he just needed to stay away from Kyle until he was ready to accept that he was gay and not get confused about himself by it. Just as he was thinking that his phone rang, the screen revealing that Kyle was calling him, just as he said he would. He sighed and picked up, trying to calm himself down.

_“Hey, dude. Did I wake you up?”_

“Hey, Kyle. No, I’m up.”

_“Good. Free to talk now?”_

“About…?”

_“Kenny’s birthday! What are we getting him this year?”_

“Oh, that! Pfft… I don’t know, a hooker? I mean, he’s turning eighteen.”

_“I… don’t think that he’d actually like that? Denying him of the challenge or something like that? You know he likes the ‘chase’ or whatever.”_

“True… I heard he has some kind of contest going on with Clyde.” 

_“Yeah, so… ideas? We really left it to the last minute…”_

“Well, I’m in charge or getting the alcohol for the trip, wanna help pay for that?”

_“Yeah! So that and maybe we could get him a couple of games?”_

“Sounds good. We could ask Cartman, he should pitch in.”

_“Ugh. You ask him.”_

“Sure, no problem.”

_“Awesome. When do you wanna go?”_

“Em…” Stan hesitated for a moment; he had just decided that maybe he should stay away from Kyle for a bit “Maybe later in the week? Do you have any plans?”

_“Yes, homework. I need to get rid of all my projects before the trip to the lake, so I’ll be a bit of hermit.”_

“Just work?” asked Stan almost without realizing it until he had already asked.

_“I’m afraid so, I won’t have much time to hang out or see anyone.”_

“Not even David?” 

_“That’s… a very weird question. Stan, you’re still my best friend, let’s not do this again, okay?”_

“So you won’t see him.”

_“I-I… don’t know? I mean… There is an essay I could use his help with? You know, for Spanish class? So, if you hear we hung out or something, that’s why.”_

“Okay…” Stan frowned. He was aware that Kyle was lying to him, but at least it didn’t sound natural or easy.

_“So… Call me when you’ve talked to Cartman and I’ll order it on Amazon.”_

“Alright. Have fun with your essays.”

_“Fun, yeah. Not likely, but thanks. Bye.”_

Kyle hung up the phone and sighed, leaving the phone on his desk. He would very much rather be with Stan than doing school work all week. He did have plans with David on Sunday, and the promise of sex made all the work he had to do not seem so haunting, but he’d still rather have enough time to go out and be with Stan for a while, they hadn’t been doing that much. Still, he was grateful for what he had, and he tried to get the most out of it. 

As he was thinking that, a notification came in and he checked his phone seeing a picture from David of a cat biting a blanket with the word ‘me’ over the cat’s head and the words ‘your tushie’ over the blanket. He smiled shaking his head and sent him a winky face throwing a kiss before putting his phone down again. He turned in his chair and focused on the computer, the sooner he started working, the sooner he would finish.

-

A few days later they were finally going out to Token’s lake cabin, Stan both wanting at fearing it because he hadn’t seen Kyle yet. So he did the most logical thing and decided to pick Cartman up first, then going for Kyle. Now they were all at Kenny’s place to get him.

Kenny threw his bags in the trunk and hopped in the backseat of Stan’s car next to Cartman, Kyle already sitting in the passenger seat. The set off to the address that Token had sent them, guided by Google Maps on Stan’s phone.

Stan had tried to follow his own advice of staying away from Kyle, telling himself that what he was going through was due to the shock and the novelty of it all and it would eventually pass. So far it wasn’t going away, and it would be a bit more difficult with the redhead sitting right next to him trying to engage him in conversation and sharing a room for the next couple of days. Fortunately, the always perceptive Kenny knew something was up by Stan’s silence and tried to distract Kyle asking about school. The Jew turned to him explaining excitedly how he had gotten rid of all his work and was now free to relax for the rest of Spring Break, but that could only work for so long. 

Kyle turned his attention towards Stan again, but the black-haired boy didn’t know how to answer, afraid that something would show his thoughts and stuck to short answers. Kenny gave Cartman his phone with his headphones to show him a video as a way of distracting him, giving them some relative privacy.

“Okay, this is weird.” He said trying not to raise his voice. “Is everything okay?

“Yeah, you’re acting weird.” Agreed Kyle looking at Stan with a frown. “And you won’t even look at me. Are you mad at me or something?”

Stan frowned, focused on the road. He should’ve known this would happen. Now he had two options. Either he gave some excuse and let this go on, or he was honest and blew the whole thing up. He considered if it was better to say nothing, but he didn’t like that idea, it would just keep on eating at him and make him obsess about it. And what he hated the most about the whole situation was that Kyle was lying to him every day, and had been doing so for a while. He had always been unable to keep a secret from Kyle. There were supposed to be no secrets between them, to begin with.

“I know about you and David.”

Those words were followed by absolute silence, only broken by the music on the radio. Kenny was too surprised to say anything and simply looked at Kyle, that was frozen looking at Stan with an expression of shocked horror.

“You… you know what…?” he asked in a small voice hoping in vain that Stan meant something else. Anything else.

“I… know you’re gay, and I know you’re with David.”

Kyle felt like he was going to throw up at any second. He slowly turned to look at Kenny, who nodded with a gentle smile.

“It’s okay, Kyle.” Said the blond in a soothing voice. “There is nothing wrong with that, we still love you. Right, Stan?”

“…Right.”

Kyle covered his mouth with a hand, sitting straight again. 

“I… How? How did you find out?”

“I saw you guys by accident.” Answered Kenny glancing out the window. “I’m sorry.”

“I was with him.” Added Stan, not wanting to reveal that he had actively spied on him.

“To be honest, it was pretty hot. Rubbed one out for you.”

“Kenny!” Kyle glared at him with his face going red, that information doing nothing to calm him down. “Oh, my God…”

Kyle’s breathing became a bit more labored, his hands shaking a bit. He thought they had been careful, that he had been careful. But no, his long-time kept secret was finally out. Not publicly, but at the very least Stan and Kenny knew he was gay now.

“Can we just accept it and move on?” said Kenny trying to normalize the situation. Kyle appreciated the attempt, but his whole world had changed in just a second.

“I don’t have any problem with it, I just wish you’d told me yourself.” said Stan with a mildly annoyed tone. 

“Yeah, me neither.” Cartman’s voice came out of nowhere, the other three almost having forgotten that he was there and they turned towards the brunette, even Stan glanced at him through the rearview mirror.

“How long have you been listening…?” asked Kyle cautiously.

“Since the start. I just had the volume down; you guys do this all the time when you don’t want me to listen. I only play along when the conversation is boring me and I do want to disconnect from it.”

“I… Cartman. Do not tell anyone about this. I’m serious.”

“If I wanted to do that I would have already, it’s not like I just found out.”

“WHAT? You knew too?!”

“Well, yeah. I have spies everywhere, bitch. Aaand Kenny and Clyde were talking about it in school, so it wasn’t that difficult.”

“Kenny, what the fuck?!”

“Woah!” Kenny raised his hands defensively “No, we didn’t! We barely implied it!”

“You said enough,” Cartman said simply with a shrug of his shoulders. “Butters didn’t understand what it meant, but I did.”

“Jesus… Fatass, I swear…”

“I don’t think fat-shaming me is a smart thing to do, _Jew_.”

Kyle sighed and hid his face in his hands, groaning in frustration.

“So, Clyde knows too.”

“The whole group knows, I’m sure.” Said Cartman giving the phone back to Kenny since it was pointless for him to have it now. 

“Goddammit! Only Tweek and Craig were supposed to know! I can’t believe they told the others… No, Tweek wouldn’t do that. I bet it was Craig.” Kyle crossed his arms looking out the window, putting one leg over the other. He normally wouldn’t sit like that in front of them but it’s not like he needed to hide that kind of gestures anymore. He felt like he needed to escape, but being trapped in a moving car that not an option.

“Craig is an asshole but he doesn’t gossip or meddle with people’s lives.” Said Stan speaking up for the first time in a while. “He respects that kind of thing. David must have told them.”

“No, that’s impossible.” Defended the redhead. “We agreed to only tell one person each, and those were Tweek and Craig.”

“Really, Kyle.” Stan frowned, the annoyed tone back in his voice. “You had to choose one person to confide in, and it was Tweek.”

Kyle looked at him, seeing the ‘and it wasn’t me’ that Stan didn’t say written on his face.

“Well… it made sense…”

“Sure, yeah.”

“Stan, don’t get mad…”

“Well, sorry. I was under the impression that I was your best friend. How the fuck did I not know about this?”

“Maybe you’re not, that’s why he told Tweek and not you.”

“Shut up, fatass!” spat Kyle angrily looking back at him for a second before turning to Stan again. “I’m sorry. Okay? Of course I wanted to tell you, but I… I had my reasons. It has nothing to do with trust.” 

Stan stayed silent, he hadn’t planned on getting mad, but hearing Kyle say that he had chosen another friend didn’t feel good.

“Stan, please…?”

The black-haired boy sighed, the GPS announcing that they were close and he needed to take the next exit. He turned the blinker on and left the highway, following the directions until he entered a dirt road that headed to the lake, the house appearing shortly after. None of them said much in that time, Cartman tried to make a joke about the silence but it was mostly ignored, only getting a look from Kenny.

When they finally arrived, Stan parked in front of the house, Craig’s and Token’s cars already there. He turned off the engine and paused for a second, the silence more noticeable now that the music from the radio was gone, and turned towards Kyle seeing the anxious look the other was giving him.

“Now is not the moment, but we need to have a talk. No more secrets, alright?” he finally said, relief visible on Kyle’s face. “And no more lies from now on. You don’t have to tell me that he’s ‘helping you with an essay’ or some bullshit like that.”

“Good. Now let’s hurry, we have to get a good room before Cartman does. We need two beds or at least a big one, and you know he’ll take it.”

“Hey, I’m right here!” protested Cartman trying to unfasten his seatbelt and get out of the car but Stan was faster in taking his bag out of the trunk and hurry inside the house after throwing the car keys on Kyle’s lap.

Kyle was shocked that Stan still wanted them to share a room but decided not to say anything about it and got out of the car as well, grabbing his back and locking the car before heading to the house as well. Kenny put a hand on Kyle’s shoulder and gave him a smile as a silent way of saying ‘Everything’s okay’.

“Wow…” Kenny looked around in awe as soon as they stepped in, Kyle had to admit it was a nice place.

The first floor was a big single area except for a door Kyle guess was a bathroom. On the left side, there was a big brown soft leather sofa with a glass coffee table in front of it and two matching armchairs on the sides, the stairs that led upstairs a bit further away. On the right side, there was a big flatscreen between two cabinets with glass doors. A bit further down the wall was a set of double sliding glass doors that led to the backyard. At the back, you could see the kitchen, a big wooden table, and a counter separating it from the living area. All the furniture in the room was made of a dark, reddish warm color that Kyle found very pleasant. 

On their way to the stairs, they ran into Token and Clyde that were just coming down the stairs and heading to the door.

“Hey, guys” greeted Token with a smile. “We’re going to get a few groceries, make yourself at home. Kenny, your room is at the end of the hallway, on the right. I told the others not to take it.

“Thanks, man! You’re the best!” Kenny tried to kiss the boy’s cheek but the black boy successfully dodged him.

“Yeah, yeah. Kyle, I think Stan has already claimed yours so Cartman, you get what’s left. See you guys in a bit.”

They left and the boys made their way upstairs, searching for their rooms. Kyle found Stan in a medium-sized room with a big window that faced the lake. There were a closet and a desk made of the same warm-colored wood as the furniture in the living area downstairs. In the middle, there was a queen-sized bed.

“Hey, dude.” Greeted Stan when he saw him enter. “Sweet room, uh? You can use the closet; I’ll just pick my clothes out of the bag. It does have only one bed though; I hope your boyfriend doesn’t mind.”

“He’s not my…” Kyle watched him take out his charger and set it on the bed. He was surprised and happy that despite knowing now he’s gay Stan still wanted to be with him, even share a bed. Of course, Stan had no idea about his feeling. He was even more surprised that despite knowing about him and David, letting Kyle share the room with the Mexican instead was still out of the question. But it was weird, one of the moments he had always feared had finally arrived and… nothing really happened. He did notice though that Stan was still avoiding looking at him too much. Dropping his bag on the floor Kyle approached him and took his hand, tugging lightly to make Stan face him. “Hey.”

“Hey…” Stan looked up at him, his breath catching in his throat when their eyes met. It was the first time they had been so close since he discovered Kyle’s dirty little secret, since he started to create a couple on his own.

“Are you really not mad…? It kinda feels like you are.”

“…I’m not mad, Kyle. I’m hurt. I was so jealous of David because I thought your friendship with him was becoming more important than mine. I understand now that I was wrong about the situation, but… Tweek? You’re only friends, right? Yet you trusted him with this before me. I don’t want to sound childish, but… it’s hard to ignore it.”

Kyle bit his lip, Stan’s eyes looked sad and he hated being the cause. But he couldn’t tell Stan, no matter no much he wanted to at times and how those hypnotizing deep blue eyes made him want to pour everything out, he just couldn’t tell him. Following an impulse Kyle suddenly hugged him, throwing his arms around Stan’s neck.

“Stan, you’re my best friend, no one else. You’re my everything…”

Stan was a bit shocked but put his arms around Kyle’s frame, feeling the warmth of his body as he took in his friend’s natural scent. It had been so long since the last time the hugged, he couldn’t even remember when it was. And he hadn’t realized how much he missed it. After a few seconds, he tried to pull away but Kyle refused to release him.

“No. Just a little more.”

“Okay…” Stan chuckled and got comfortable in the position; face buried in Kyle’s red curls. He wasn’t sure how much time it had passed before Kyle finally let him go, but he was feeling much calmer. “Aren’t you a bit mad, though? David told everyone about you guys.”

“Oh, yeah… A little bit, yeah…” Kyle sighed, rubbing his temples. “Excuse me for a moment.”

“Sure.”

Stan watched him leave, guessing where he was going. He felt a bit guilty about breaking the moment to try and get David in trouble again, but in reality, knowing about their relationship didn’t make him feel any less jealous about it than he had in the last couple of months.

He was happy that Kyle had found someone, he truly was. He deserved some love. But at the same time… no matter how selfish that made him feel, he still didn’t like feeling that there was somebody else that mattered to Kyle more than him. The thoughts he had been having about his best friend weren’t exactly helping. He really wanted to be Kyle’s everything. Was it wrong to want Kyle for himself? 

A bit haunted by these thoughts Stan left the room, heading downstairs as he tried to ignore the two voices arguing in what he assumed was David’s room.

After a while Kenny and Cartman went downstairs too, Tweek and Craig joining shortly after. Token and Clyde came back from the shopping with some food but mostly beer they had bought with Clyde’s fake ID. They decided to take it easy the rest of the afternoon, leisurely playing videogames once they were all set up. They had started already when Kyle and David finally came down, looking far more relaxed than Stan was expecting.

The next day they decided to check the lake. Kyle, Tweek, and Cartman stayed on the shore with some snacks and a mini-fridge full of sodas while the other visited the boat rental place.

Token, Craig, and David got on a boat while Stan, Kenny, and Clyde got on another, making teams and spending a good couple of hours racing each other. Kyle took the chance to update Tweek about the situation, being careful not to say too much because of Cartman’s presence. After the boys came back, they went to the town for lunch and returned to the house. After a round of showers, they spent the afternoon relaxing again, most of them exhausted.

Kenny was having a great time and thanked Token a couple more times until the black boy threatened to hit him if he said it again. He and Clyde were constantly challenging each other about stupid stuff, so Stan spent most of his time with Cartman and Token since the other four were two couple and stuck together a bit, choosing to sit outside in the backyard. At some point in those two days, David had tried to kiss Kyle in front of the others. After a few seconds of panic, David reminded him that everyone there knew about them and Kyle, although very embarrassed, gradually grew comfortable with those little shows of affection. 

Stan tried to avoid them a little when there were together so he wouldn’t see them, being both unable to look away and stand the sight at the same time. When they were in the same room it normally led to him checking his phone to have something to focus on, and end up seeing pictures of Wendy, either the ones stored on his phone that he hadn’t deleted yet or on social media, which only made his mood more bitter. It was crazy how much his life had changed in such a short amount of time.

Despite that he tried his best not to let it show, not wanting to ruin Kenny’s good mood or burden him with anything. He really deserved a break and he would forever be grateful to Token and his group for making this happen.

The blond was even happier when they found poker cards and chips, so they decided to open a couple of the bottles that Stan had brought and spent the night playing poker. Unfortunately for Kenny, luck didn’t seem to be on his side. He and Clyde, who wasn’t particularly good at poker, quickly lost all their money and decided to get on drinking and playing their own game, giving scores to people about everything they could think of, slowly but surely focusing on girls.

Tweek followed to bankruptcy shortly after, not really being good at hiding his emotion about the hands he was dealt. Token, Kyle, and David were holding on to a few chips, and Cartman turned out to be a very decent player, having a great poker face.

The best two by far however were Stan and Craig, ending up against each other with everyone else folding more often than not, adding a shot of bourbon as punishment to whoever lost the round.

Eventually, Token and Kyle lost their chips as well, divided now between watching the game and listening to the other two, occasionally sharing a look and rolling their eyes at their conversation, not very pleased at having to hear it. The drunker they got, the louder they became, laughing at each other’s comments, so even the ones that were still playing started listening to them.

“Come on! Bebe has the best boobs in the whole grade _by far_ , which gives me a whole lot of points.” Defended Clyde as they reviewed how they were doing in their competition.

“Fine, but Red’s the wildest, so that gives me even more points,” Kenny argued back, not willing to admit defeat to the brunet.

“Lola has great lips; she gives the best blowjobs.”

“So does Annie!”

“Guys,” Clyde said turning to the others. “Who gives better blowjobs, Lola or Annie?”

“We don’t know,” said Craig plainly, throw more chips on the table. “And we don’t care.”

“Maybe you don’t care, queermo.” Cartman butted in. “But I have to say Lola.”

“Yeah, like you would know.” Huffed Kyle.

“I know more than you know, Jew.”

“HA! Lola wins!” Clyde took another shot smiling triumphantly.

“Fine,” acknowledge Kenny with a growl. “Best legs?”

“Nicole, hands down.” 

“Hey!” Token glared at him.

“What? You guys broke up forever ago!” said Clyde with a laugh. “Besides, you get a point for that!”

“I don’t want a point in your stupid, degrading game! Neither of you has had her so leave her out of this.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Said Kenny raising a hand. “If Token gets a point for that shouldn’t Kyle too? Didn’t you guys go out?”

“We went to one date, Cartman made sure to hook her up with Token before that.” Answered Kyle glaring at Cartman. “We didn’t kiss or anything.”

“Fine, fine.” Kenny patted his back and grabbed the bottle filling his and Clyde’s glasses again. “Best hair?”

“Pfft, Wendy. Silky and long, easy to grab.” Clyde finished his drink in one go, visibly smashed, his word blurring a bit together, Stan being the one glaring at him now. “I can easily imagine her on her hands and knees, grabbing her hip from behind with one hand while using the other to tug at her hair and keep it up as I—”

“DUDE!” Stan looked at him visibly angry now, raising his hands in disbelieve. “We just broke up, what the Hell is wrong with you?!”

“So? Maybe know we’ll get a chance.” Clyde shrugged his shoulders not seeing anything wrong with it, groaning when Kyle punched him in the arm telling him to shut up.

“Okay, okay. Wendy, I agree, point for Stan, let’s move on.” Said Kenny trying to distract Clyde from Wendy.

“Fine. Best figure?” said Clyde making an hourglass shape with his hands.

“Monica Ryland. But she only dates guys that are in college, so point for nobody. Best ass?”

“Kyle’s” answered Clyde without even thinking about it, the alcohol removing any filters.

He emptied his glass again oblivious to the fact that everybody turned to him in shock. Once he realized it, he looked back at them, blinking with an innocent look on his face. 

“What? You don’t need to be gay to appreciate a nice, perky bubble butt.” He commented simply again gesturing with his hands, this time making a round shape. 

Kenny burst out laughing as Kyle’s face got as red as his hair at the attention. David nodded unnoticed by the others and hid a smile behind his cards, Stan almost choking on his drink. Craig rolled his eyes, clicking his tongue.

“Sorry, but the best one is Tweek’s. No doubt about it.”

“Aww…” Tweek smiled, kissing Craig’s cheek. “Thank you, babe, but I agree with Clyde.”

Kenny laughed even harder, Kyle standing up suddenly.

“Okay, I’ve had enough, I need some fresh air.” David glanced up at him and stood up as well, taking out his packet of cigarettes.

“Want one?”

“Yes, _please_.”

They stepped away from the table and left through the glass doors towards the backyard. Clyde’s eyes followed them snorting as he knocked back another shot.

“Well, we all know who’s scoring that one…” Clyde then turned towards the other couple, grinning at the blond and earning a death glare from Craig, that put his arm protectively around his boyfriend. “Tweek does have a really nice butt too, Craig’s a lucky guy.”

Token huffed and stood up, also tired of that conversation.

“Fuck this, I’m going to bed.”

“We should be going too.” 

Tweek stood up as well pulling at Craig’s arm, the black-haired boy throwing his cards on the table and following him upstairs along with Token after a short ‘Goodnight’. Kenny and Clyde kept going after being left mostly alone, Stan and Cartman just sitting there for a few moments, the poker game abandoned.

“Stan, you should go to bed” muttered Cartman getting up from his chair, heading towards the door. Not the glass doors that led to the backyard that Kyle and David had gone through but to the front door.

“Where are you going?”

“For a walk, I need to think.” Cartman grabbed the spare key hanging by a little hook by the door, turning back to Stan for a moment. “Go to sleep, man. Try not to think about Wendy.”

“I’ll go soon, I wanted to wait for Kyle.” He could swear Cartman’s face actually looked sad for a moment.

“Something tells me you guys won’t be sharing a room, after all, at least tonight.”

“But all his stuff is there, his toothbrush, his charger, his pajamas…”

Stan heard Clyde laugh behind him and turned towards him.

“I don’t think he’ll be using any pajamas if you know what I mean.”

“Man,” said Kenny filling their glasses again. “When you drink you shouldn’t be allowed to talk.”

“Why not? It’s true. And according to David, he’s _wild_.”

That was it, that was Stan’s cue to get the fuck out of there and go to bed. He glanced at the door but it was closed, Cartman having disappeared. He got up and grabbed a bottle before disappearing up the stairs, leaving Kenny and Clyde alone. Kenny saw him leave, wishing he could do something to make him feel better as Clyde replenished their glasses.

“I’m gonna be so hangover tomorrow but I don’t care.” Said Clyde with a smile, grabbing his glass.

“So, David told you stuff?” asked Kenny grabbing his own.

“Oh yeah.” Said Clyde with a grin. “Kinky stuff.”

“Like Red kind of kinky?” asked Kenny raising an eyebrow.

“I’d say… Between Red and Sally Turner.”

“ _Damn_. I’d never thought Kyle would have it in him to be dirty.”

“Hell, yeah.” Clyde raised his shot glass, going for a toast. “To kinky sex!”

“To kinky sex.” Agreed Kenny meeting Clyde’s glass with his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is going to have some mild Style in it, just a splash, but I need to start putting some in there.
> 
> I'll try to pick up the pace after they're back from the trip.
> 
> Thank you for the ones that leave comments, you're my motivation to keep going with this!
> 
> Meka, I love you, thanks for the support <3 Please update Love Me Right soon, if anyone hasn't read it I absolutely recommend it. Or any story by that author, really.


	8. Blackout

Stan was sitting on the bed, staring drowsily at the wall in front of him. The bottle’s contents kept dwindling at a steady pace as he tried to focus his mind. Or better said, tried to keep it out of certain things. 

He was both surprised and not surprised that he wasn’t as sad about Wendy as he would’ve thought. He should be more upset, right? His phone was opened on her Instagram, she was spending Spring Break on some tropical beach with her girlfriends, apparently having the time of her life. She looked gorgeous. 

And there he was, drinking alone, in the dark, wishing for Kyle to be there but knowing that he was probably having a great time with David. He felt so lonely at that moment like he was completely cut-off from the rest of the world. Despite still suffering through the break-up with Wendy, it was Kyle who occupied most of his thoughts. He still couldn’t think about anything else. Every time he closed his eyes, he could only see Kyle, face flushed and breathing heavily like he normally did after a game. He could see David, smirking with that smugness he exuded after scoring for his team. But they weren’t playing basketball. In his mind, David’s big hands were exploring Kyle’s body with freedom and delight. He could see Kyle’s body shaking with pleasure, imaginary breathy moans hitting his ears. 

Stan opened his eyes, not knowing when he had closed them, and took another swig from the bottle. He could feel a tear going down his cheek but he didn’t mind it. He felt so, so lonely, sitting cross-legged on that bed, with that bottle as his only company. Had Kyle ever felt like this? He wanted the redhead to be there, to put his arms around him and breathe in his scent, that always made him feel better.

He closed his eyes again, the room spinning around him. He stood up and paced around, last time he had checked the time more than an hour had gone by. The door of the room opened quietly and Kyle stepped inside.

“Stan? I thought you would be sleeping.”

As he turned on the lights, Stan spun around and looked wide-eyed at his best friend, in his face appearing a smile from ear to ear.

“Kyle!!”

“Shhh!” Kyle closed the door behind him, quickly hushing his friend “It’s late, don’t be so loud.”

Stan wobbled towards him, half-falling on him as he hugged him tightly.

“I didn’t think you were coming tonight… I thought you’d be with David…”

“I only came to get a couple of things. Sorry, I thought you’d be sleeping by now. Are you okay…?”

“No!” Stan gasped painfully; hugging Kyle even tighter “I… I know you want to sleep with him. But please, _please_ , don’t go…” 

“Stan…” Kyle finally hugged him back. He loved feeling that his best friend needed him but… for the first time in his life he had someone else waiting for him. “Come on, you need to sleep.”

“I don’t want to sleep, I want you.”

Kyle’s heart started beating faster when hearing those words, reminding himself that he meant it as a friend.

“Stan…” the black-haired boy buried his face in Kyle’s neck, the alcohol making his body numb and tingly at the same time. He kissed the skin his lips were touching, Kyle’s body shivering when feeling his friend’s lips on that sensitive part. “Stan…” the tone in his voice was a bit different now, trying to control himself. David had him in an already aroused state since they had been fooling around but not really done anything and his feelings for Stan were doing him no favors. 

“Kyle…” Stan bit down softly on the tender skin, pushing the redhead slowly towards the door until he had him trapped there, his knee going up between Kyle’s legs. 

“Stan, w-what are you doing?”

Stan suddenly pulled away looking straight into his eyes making Kyle’s knees feel weak.

“I want you to stay with me.”

“What you need is to let go of that bottle and sleep. You’re gonna feel terrible in the morning.”

“Kyle, please… Stay with me. Don’t go with him. Please. I need you. I’ll do anything David would, I promise, just please, please, stay with me instead.”

“You… what? Dude, what’s gotten into you?”

“I was looking at Wendy’s Insta and she’s with some guy and you weren’t here… because you were also with some guy and… I just… I don’t want to be alone right now. I need you. Please.”

“… Oh. Of course. I see.”

Stan rested his forehead on the door above Kyle’s shoulder, relaxing his body against his friend’s. Kyle put his arms around him, embracing him warmly. He hated seeing his best friend this broken every time things went wrong with Wendy but he had to admit, even if just to himself, that those moments came with a guilty pleasure. He loved that Stan’s first instinct was clinging to him. It made him feel needed, it made him feel like he was really important to him.

“Kyle, I don’t feel good…”

“It’s okay, it will get better… Next month you and Wendy will hang out for a while and decide that you should try agai---”

“No. Dude.” Stan stepped away from him and leaned over, leaving the bottle on the floor before resting his hand on his knees “I think- I’m gonna-“

Kyle went towards him but Stan suddenly got up and pushed him aside, rushing out of the room. He followed his friend and saw him kneeling in front of the toilet, emptying his guts. Kyle kneeled down next to him rubbing his back, moving his hand in soft circles trying to give him some comfort as Stan spit out some saliva before hurling again.

“Everything okay?” Kyle looked towards the door to see David leaning against the doorframe. 

“Hey... Not really, no.”

“I can see that. You were taking too long so I came to check. Need some help?”

“Nah, it’s fine. It’s not my first ride.”

“But maybe with my help, we can tuck him in faster? Have some alone time we had planned?”

“I’m not comfortable leaving him alone, right now… I’m sorry, David. I don’t think I can come over.”

The Mexican sighed and nodded, rubbing his eyes with one hand.

“Fine, I get. Have fun babysitting…”

The taller boy got close leaving a kiss on top of Kyle’s head before heading to his room. Once Stan was finally done, he sat back against the wall. 

“I’ll be right back” Kyle gave him some toilet paper and left the bathroom. Stan wiped his mouth and threw the paper in the toilet. He stood up shaking slightly and flushed, using the sink as support, feeling his stomach cramp and his throat burn. Puking always made him feel so miserable. Kyle came back and closed the door behind him while Stan opened the faucet and got some water into his mouth, moving it around before spitting again. “I brought your toothbrush.”

Kyle put some paste on it and put it on Stan’s hand.

“Dude, I don’t think, right now…”

“You threw up. The acid from your stomach will mess up your teeth, you need to do this now.”

“Ugh…”

Stan brushed his teeth looking like he was about to pass out, wobbling a bit in place with his eyes barely open, the redhead grabbing his hand from behind to help guide his movements. Once his mouth was clean Kyle made him lean down to splash his face with cold water and grabbed the hand towel next to the sink, patting gingerly Stan’s face to dry it.

Stan relaxed under Kyle’s loving care, barely feeling it when his friend grabbed his hand and led him to the room. He fell onto the bed thankful for not having to stand any longer. Kyle took off Stan’s shoes before turning off the lights and getting rid of his own, laying down on his side next to Stan. The black-haired boy laid on his side as well facing him and put a hand on Kyle’s cheek, looking at him through half-lidded eyes.

“Will you stay until I fall asleep? 

“Of course. I’m not leaving.”

“And you’ll be here when I wake up?”

“…I will.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“I’m sorry you had to do this again…”

“It’s okay. You’re my best friend, I don’t mind taking care of you.” Kyle relaxed knowing that Stan was fine and could sleep it off until the next morning, their whispering voices the only sound left in the house.

“It’s not okay, you always take care of me. And I messed up your night. I know you wanted to be with David right now…”

“He’ll be fine, it’s okay.”

“But…”

“Shhh. That’s enough, Stan.” Kyle brought his hand to rest onto Stan’s, the one that was still cupping his cheek “Try to sleep.”

Stan looked like he was about to pass out but stubbornly tried to keep his attention focused on Kyle’s face.

“……Is he your boyfriend?”

“…No.”

“But… you guys have sex.”

“Well, yes. But it’s only that, it’s just physical.”

“Wow. I never would’ve thought you’d be in a purely sexual relationship.”

“Me neither.”

“I mean, you’re so the romantic type. You’re the kind of person that needs feelings and shit.”

“I think you’re projecting a bit but whatever. That’s how things are, that’s what he offered, and I decided to go for it. I don’t regret it, he’s really good to me.”

“Oh… I’m sorry.” Stan moved closer to Kyle, making their foreheads touch.

“For what?”

“I’m sorry he didn’t ask you out. You’re amazing and you deserve love, he’s such a lucky guy.”

Kyle smiled at the irony but appreciated the sentiment.

“He did, actually… But I said no to dating, so we settled for physical only.”

“Why not?”

Stan looked into his eyes in drunken confusion and Kyle sighed, comforted by the fact that Stan wouldn’t remember a single word of that conversation.

“I just… I couldn’t.”

“Why not…?”

“Because I love you.” 

“You…? I love you too, dude. You’re my best friend. But that’s not a reason.”

“Not as a friend, Stan… I love you. Not him…”

Stan didn’t answer and Kyle closed his eyes again, more than ready to make that night end. He felt Stan shift and raise his head, gasping with surprise when he felt the lips of the other boy press against his own in a short kiss. He opened his eyes in shock, the hand that Stan had on his cheek moving forward to his hair, tangling in red curls leaving only the thumb to caress his cheek. Kyle shuddered under the intense look the other was giving him.

“Dude, what…?”

Stan leaned down and kissed him again, more deeply, pressing their bodies together. Kyle moaned into the kiss as his own hand went through his friend’s black hair, kissing him back with too many repressed feelings.

As suddenly as it had started, the kiss stopped and Stan fell back on the pillow with a grin on his face. Kyle blinked at him completely dumbfounded but his friend had his eyes closed.

“What was that…?” Stan didn’t answer, breathing deeply with the smile still in place “Stan?”

Still no answer. He had finally fallen asleep. Kyle sighed and laid back, staring at the ceiling, wondering how was he supposed to sleep now feeling confused and more aroused than before.

Well. That just fucking happened.

-

David stepped out of the house the next morning for a cigarette, spotting the others that were already up at the garden table. Token and Craig were talking about something sitting across each other. Next to him, Tweek was distractedly sipping on a mug that David was sure had coffee in it. Cartman was sitting next to Token mostly focusing on his breakfast, the only one still on pajamas. 

He got closer and saw that they had put a cloth over the table that was now covered with food. They had bacon, scrambled eggs, toasts, fresh fruit cut in pieces. David was amazed, it looked like a feast. Jugs filled with water, juice, and milk were there along with a coffee pot.

“Wow, you guys made a banquet.”

“There is a flea market in town. We got up early and decided to grab a few things.” Token explained spreading his toast with butter, changing the knife to spread the jam.

“Nice, I’m starving.” he killed the cigarette and sat down next to Token, grabbing an empty plate that he filled with a bit of everything. 

“Yeah? Burned a lot of calories last night?” asked Craig with a smile, Token groaned rolling his eyes. He didn’t want or needed to know what David did to Kyle last night. David huffed at the question.

“I don’t know, how many calories do you burn when you’re jerking off?”

Craig gave him a surprised look.

“Really? When you and Kyle left, I assumed he was going to sleep in your room.”

“Yeah, me too.” David grumbled while munching on a piece of bacon “But Stan got shit-faced drunk and Kyle had to take care of him. He must still be there.”

Craig patted him on the shoulder, Cartman finally looking at him.

“How long has this been going on, anyway?” he asked casually, serving himself a glass of milk “You and Kyle, I mean.”

“About a couple of months, give or take.”

“You’ve been dating for two months?”

“We’re not dating.”

“Am I missing something here? You just said…”

“I didn’t say we were dating.” spat David visibly upset “We just… enjoy each other’s company, occasionally.”

Craig and Token shared a look but decided to say nothing.

“Uh.”

A few minutes of silence went by, David decided to abandon the food in favor of another cigarette. Kyle stepped into the backyard still wearing the same clothes as the previous night, approaching the table.

“Morning!” he stretched his arms looking at the table “Wow, that looks inviting.”

“You can have my plate if you want.” greeted David resting a hand on the back of Kyle’s thigh “How’s Stan?”

“He just woke up, massive hangover.” he answered filling a glass with orange juice. “Token, do you have any painkillers?”

“Yes, there are some in the bathroom cabinet.”

“Great, I’ll take this to him and be right back.”

Kyle left again and went straight to the bathroom. He set the glass of juice on the sink and pulled gently on the mirror, revealing the inside of the cabinet. He located the pills and took one, closing the cabinet and grabbing the glass on his way to the room.

Stan sat up with a groan when he saw Kyle enter and took both items from his hands, putting the pill in his mouth and drinking the whole glass in seconds. Kyle sat next to him on the bed, bringing a knee to his chest, the other folded beneath his body,

“How are you feeling?”

“Miserable and in pain.” he left the glass on the nightstand and laid back down “How much did I drink, god fucking dammit.”

“About three quarters of a bottle besides whatever you had downstairs. What do you remember?”

“Ugh… I remember… I remember being here with the bottle and stalking Wendy’s Instagram. I remember you coming into the room at some point… a flash of throwing up in the toilet… not much else…”

“I see.” Kyle rested a cheek on his raised knee, brushing the hair out of Stan’s face “Why don’t you try to sleep a bit more? You’ll feel better later.”

“Yeah, sounds like a good idea.”

Kyle smiled and got up to close the curtains, leaving the room as quietly as he could so he wouldn’t disturb his already sleeping best friend.

After eating something and having a quick shower Kyle and David decided to visit the street market that Tweek had told them about while Kyle was having some light breakfast. They were leisurely walking among the other people, holding hands on that sunny day. They spent a good couple of hours exploring the market, checking the clothes and antiques, trying cheese samples, and fruit juices freshly made. 

Kyle was having a great time, enjoying being able to just relax and be himself this openly since nobody knew him there, without any fear of who might see them. When they passed by a park they decided to stop and rest for a bit. It was almost noon and they hadn’t agreed on a time to be back but they figured they still had some to spare.

They sat on a bench, David put his arm around Kyle’s waist and pulled him close, a cigarette on his other hand. The redhead couldn’t help but smile when seeing how happy David was and allowed himself to relax on the other boy’s shoulder, closing his eyes.

“Are you having fun?” he heard the Mexican ask, feeling a kiss on his forehead.

“Yes, I’m having a really good time.”

“Good. You looked so tired this morning.”

“Well, I stayed up late. We spent a good while in that bathroom.”

“I didn’t think he drank that much.”

“He took a bottle to the room, kept drinking there.” Kyle sighed resting his hand on the one David had on his waist, rubbing softly.

“Damn, really? Why?”

“He was stalking Wendy’s Instagram, apparently.”

“Ooh… That makes sense. I saw some pictures this morning, she seems to be having a great time with the girls.”

“I guess, I haven’t looked at it, but Stan said the same thing. And right after the break-up.” Kyle frowned watching a couple passing by “He must have been feeling so lonely…”

“Mmh… You know, you used to look so lonely sometimes too. Especially when they were together.”

A sad smile made his way on Kyle’s face, through his mind rushing all the times he saw them kiss, hug, holding hands, or just smiling at each other. For so many years he had witnessed the person he loved in a relationship with someone else, full of longing sorrow unable to personally experience that feeling he wished so much for.

“I did feel lonely, I guess.”

“Do you now?”

Kyle raised his head taking the cigarette out of David’s hand. He took a quick puff and gave it back, blowing out the smoke slowly.

“No. I never feel lonely when I’m with you.”

David smiled and dropped the cigarette on the ground, stepping on it with the heel of his boot. His free hand now rested on Kyle’s thigh, gently rubbing up and down, he leaned towards him to whisper in his ear.

“I felt lonely last night, you know. Having to settle for my hand instead of your tight little asshole…”

Kyle blushed and moved away, glaring at him.

“What the Hell? At least you could jerk off. I wasn’t alone, remember? I’m the one with blue balls here.”

David slid closer to him again, Kyle blushed even more, starting to feel the influence the Latino had over him.

“I can help with that… Not in the house, too many people. But…”

“David…” Kyle said his name in a warning tone, knowing full well what that look on the tanned boy’s face meant, and slid further away on the bench. “No way. Not here, not now.”

David inched closer again, Kyle slid back until he was at the edge of the bench.

“We’re in a public place. In the middle of the day!”

The Mexican boy moved again and closed the gap between them again, Kyle raised a warning finger.

“No. No way. No.”

David smirk grew a little wider.

“No. _NO_.”

-

“YES! Oh fuck, yes…! Yes…” Kyle gasped, his hands going up to claw at the ground around his head, legs as wide as they could spread.

“Shht! Stay quiet, stay quiet… “

David covered Kyle’s mouth with his hand, giving a few deep thrusts as both of them rode out their orgasms. Kyle’s body shook violently when David’s hit him as deep as he could go, already oversensitive from the climax. After they were done David pulled out and rolled to his side falling on his back next to the redhead, taking out the condom and tying it before wrapping it in a tissue he would throw out later. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes, breathing heavily as they laid between some big bushes in a secluded area of the park. After catching his breath Kyle sat up slowly and put his pants back on, fixing his clothes the best he could.

“You bastard… I can’t believe you convince me every time.”

David let out a breathless laugh, fixing his pants and sitting next to him with a relaxed, happy expression on his face.

“Ice cream?”

-

When Stan finally got up, he was feeling a lot better. His body felt heavy and his mind was fuzzy, but his head wasn’t pounding anymore. He made his way downstairs, seeing Clyde sprawled on the sofa with a bowl of cereal.

“S’up” Clyde didn’t tear his eyes from the TV and Stan ignored him, the comments about Wendy from the previous night still making him angry. He stepped outside, raising his hand to shield his eyes from the sun.

Craig and Token were playing catch, Kenny was lying on the grass with a book. He went towards his friend, sitting down next to him. Kenny raised a finger to signal Stan to wait and finished the paragraph before putting a bookmark between the pages and closing the book.

“Hey, man. How’s the hangover?”

“Fine, actually. Kyle brought me a painkiller and a glass of orange juice; they did wonders.”

“Lucky you. What about…?”

“What?”

“Umm… Wendy? It’s been almost a month, Kyle mentioned you were feeling bad about that. How are you doing?”

“Right. Well. I could be doing better, but still better than I expected. I’m normally so devastated when she dumps me for some reason or another, but this time… it’s just at very specific moments, not constant. I don’t know man, it’s weird. I guess I’ve had other things on my mind.

“Things like Kyle?”

Stan remained silent. He still didn’t know what his thoughts were on that. He wasn’t even sure how he felt.

“I still can’t believe it…” he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes, it was a bit of a shock. Does it bother you? That he’s gay?”

Stan cringed at the word. Not because of homophobia but because it was such a personal and important thing about his best friend that he didn’t know about. Something that he did know now but because he found out accidentally, not because Kyle trusted him with it.

“No… I don’t know.” He sighed and laid down, crossing his arms beneath his head as a makeshift pillow. “I’m upset that he never told me. I mean, we’re best friends! Super best friends. Why wouldn’t he tell me? I still don’t understand. I know he didn’t tell anybody or whatever, but everyone here but us were told.”

“These are David’s friends, he shared it with them, it was his choice.”

“Why didn’t Kyle share it with us?”

Kenny didn’t answer, it did feel a bit like there was a lack of trust, but he knew it was mostly fear and not about trust, so he tried not to hold it against him. He knew that when Kyle was ready, he would share his true self and be open with them, completely.

“David seems to accept himself more than Kyle does.” Kenny finally answered, “I don’t think we’re the problem, he’s just insecure.”

“I get that! Really, I do! But… but… It’s us, it’s… me… Why wouldn’t he tell me…”

“He’s just not ready. Or maybe _because_ it’s you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… Is that the only thing that bothers you? Every time you look at them you seem upset. You already know the truth. Since you’re his best friend and you know what’s going on, shouldn’t it be becoming ‘normal’ now? Why do you still look mad when you see David?”

Stan stayed silent, giving it a thought. Kenny was right, it still bothered him that they were together, even if he no longer had the simple thought of David trying to steal his friend away. It bothered him. Not only that Kyle had been hiding it from him, it bothered him that he was with David. He had never been David’s biggest fan, but he didn’t have anything against him. Still, he hated it. He hated to think about them together, about David’s hands touching Kyle, making him feel everything that Stan didn’t. He gasped and shook his head, Kenny smiling a little bit to himself.

“I don’t know! Whatever. I still can’t believe what you said.”

“What is that?”

“That you masturbated to them? When you saw them?”

“Oh, that. Haven’t you?”

“Dude! Of course not, what the hell?” Kenny laughed seeing Stan’s face on fire. He had. More times than he cared to admit. Or count. “Fuck off. Fuck you, and fuck this conversation. Where are they anyway?”

“They went to the market, I think. You should put something in your stomach, man. Go to the kitchen, Tweek will give you something.”

“Good idea…”

Stan got up and headed inside, finding Tweek chopping fresh parsley. He looked adorable. Loose, brown shorts that went down to almost his knees, white and green striped T-shirt and a light blue apron hugging his figure. He was humming to himself, completely immersed in his own world.

Stan and Craig weren’t the best of friends, but he saw how much he had helped the blond over the years. They didn’t have the best start but they had grown into a great, loving couple. Tweek was caring and supportive, always willing to help with anything that happened to Craig even if he had his hands full with his own issues. And Craig… it took years of learning and personal growth, but he had always helped the blond when it was needed and he had definitely changed something in Tweek. He had changed _Tweek_. Almost as much as Tweek had changed him. The blond boy was so different now than he was when they were kids. Confident and comfortable with himself. Happy. He also had a feeling that making him stop drinking the coffee his parents gave him had helped immensely. He remembered Tweek getting very sick for a while, he remembered tears and begging, but Craig didn’t let him have a single drop.

“Hey, Tweek.” the blond looked up at him with a smile.

“Hey, Stan!”

“What are you making?”

“Spaghetti meatballs. Can’t go wrong with that.”

“So true.”

He saw a bowl with some fruit and took a banana, dying to get something solid in his stomach. He took a bite off it, leaning against the counter next to Tweek.

“You know, you’re gonna make an excellent wife.”

“Uh?!” Tweek blushed and looked up at him for a moment before focusing again on the cutting board, garlic being the new victim of his chopping “Thanks?”

“I mean it.” Stan winked at him with a smirk “Craig is a really lucky guy.”

“Riight… If you wanna be here, less flattering and more helping, Marsh.”

“Oof. Craig’s rubbing off on you.”

“Thank you! Now,” Tweek pointed to the pot with water that was starting to boil.

Stan laughed and took the hint, getting the whole pack of spaghetti into the water. He decided to stay in the kitchen helping with lunch, he liked hanging out with the blond boy. He was grating some cheese while Tweek finished the sauce when the front door opened. Kyle and David entered the house with ice creams in their hand, looking fairly happy. 

“Damn, that smells good!” David smiled sniffing the air as they wandered to the kitchen area.

“Thank you!” Tweek greeted them with a smile. Stan looked over them with a ‘Hey’ but quickly returned to the cheese “Go outside with the guys, it won’t take much longer.”

“Need help?” Kyle asked.

“Not really, we’re almost finished. Go, we’ll call you when it’s done.”

“Alright, call if you need anything.”

David stepped outside after that, but Tweek put a hand on Kyle’s arm to stop him from following.

“Actually, Kyle, would you mind taking care of the salad? You always make them so tasty.”

“Sure, Tweek! What do we have?”

“Oh, explore the fridge and improvise. I’m gonna set the table.” He glanced at the black-haired boy behind him, seeing him take the grater to the sink. Perfect timing. “Stan can help you; he’s done with the cheese.”

“No problem.” Kyle started rummaging through the fridge as Stan washed his hands and took out a big bowl, smiling at his friend when he got close. Out the corner of his eye, he saw Tweek hide a smile but he pretended not to notice.

“So, what’s it gonna be?”

“Well…” Kyle started going over what he would put in the salad but Stan didn’t hear it, noticing something brownish in Kyle’s red hair.

“Dude, what is this?”

“Uh?”

Stan’s hand went up to his hair to his red hair pulling a dry leaf out of it.

“Oh!” Kyle blushed at the touch and even more when he realized what it was and how it got there “The wind, I guess. T-Thank you.”

He took the leaf from Stan’s hand and threw it in the trash, going back to his friend that was already grabbing a knife and a cutting board ready to chop. They had a light conversation, Kyle telling him about the town and the market and the park, leaving out all… private details. They both were smiling by the time they finished and agreed to go together the next day.


	9. Talking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there!
> 
> I've been stuck with this chapter forever.  
> I'm not happy with it but the more I'll touch it, the worse it'll get.  
> I needed to get this conversation out of the way, so nothing much happens in this chapter.  
> I decided to include some of David's thoughts so you can see where he's at right now.

After a nice lunch Tweek, Stan, and Kyle sat comfortably on the couch while the others took care of the cleaning. Cartman and Kenny were seating on the easy chairs next to it, Kenny being excused because it was his birthday ‘weekend’ and Cartman simply refusing to help. Tweek curled up and covered himself with a blanket, sipping on his decaff. Craig had finally, with the others’ boys help, convinced him to give Game of Thrones a try. He wasn’t really happy about the decaff but he promised Craig he would limit his caffeine intake to the mornings and he was trying to stick by it.

Stan laid down on the throw pillows that were all over the side of the couch, and raised his arms so Kyle could snuggle up against him, letting it down again around Kyle’s frame. It didn’t take long for them to fall asleep, Tweek glancing at them every once in a while, with a little smile that he was careful to hide behind his mug.

Clyde and Craig joined them after the cleaning, sitting on the floor with their backs on the couch, Craig holding the hand that Tweek put on his shoulder. David took a look at the scene, his eyes falling on the couple of boys cuddling up on the couch, blissfully asleep. He turned around and grabbed a beer from the fridge, heading outside. It took Token one look at his friend’s face to decide to grab another beer and follow him. They sat on the benches of the table, Token heaving a sigh as David lit up a cigarette.

“You okay, man?”

David took his time to answer, exhaling the smoke slowly.

“What’s that supposed to mean? I know what’s what, so it’s not like I can complain.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Token raising and eyebrow “It’d be normal if it bothered you seeing him like that. It shouldn’t though, they’ve always been like this, even when they were kids. There is nothing romantic or sexual about it. Besides, I’ve never seen Kyle as happy as he’s been lately, I’m sure you guys have no problems in that department.”

“I know that. The sex is not a concern, I know I satisfy him.” He huffed taking a sip of his beer, Token did the same with a frown trying not to picture it “I made his body mine, every inch of it. Except for his heart.”

“Come on, that’s not true. I told you, they’ve always been like that. Super Best Friends or some bullshit. It’s a total bromance, but that’s it.”

“No, man. He told me.” David took a long sip of the bottle, his eyes staring at Token’s “Don’t tell anyone. Anyone. Okay?”

“Of course. My lips are sealed.”

“Right before we hooked up, he confessed to me that he’s in love with Stan. Like, for real.”

“Shit, really? And you still… you know?”

“Well, yeah. I mean. Why not? He was single and available, better me than some other guy. It’s not like he had a chance with Stan. He was with Wendy.”

“I guess…”

“But now that Wendy broke up with that douche…”

“That worries you? Nah. It’s always been like this, I tell you. Nothing new. Kyle is going to do nothing about his crush on Stan, Stan is still straight, and he’s probably going to be dating Wendy again soon enough.”

“Have you seen her Instagram? Or the other girls’? They’re having the time of their fucking lives; she won’t get back with him anytime soon. Why would she?”

“Because, I keep telling you, man. It’s all the same shitty routine. She breaks up with Stan, has a bit of fun with some guy, then goes back to him. Trust me, I was one of her little ‘breaks’ once.”

“Oh, yeah. Clyde said something about that. But you were too young to have some real fun?”

“Correct. We were like 8 or 9 at the time. When I said that this has been happening since forever, I meant it. There is nothing to worry about.”

“We are not eight anymore, Token.” David groaned and rubbed his eyes, his voice coming out with an exhausted tone “Can we just please, please, stop talking about it. What about you, uh? What about that… that girl you were seeing? Angelica, something like that? Fuck, I haven’t been very present in your lives lately, uh…”

Token laughed, patting him on the shoulder.

“It’s okay, I get it. Her name is Amber, by the way. And it didn’t work, as usual.”

“Why, what happened?”

“Same thing as always. I meet a girl, we hit it off, and when things start getting interesting… it falls apart.”

“Why? You never give us real details, just ‘Didn’t work’ and that’s it.”

“…Okay, but you can’t say anything about this either, alright?”

“Sure, man. No worries.”

“It’s… it’s the size…” Token murmured his words sounding frustrated, pointing at his crotch “They are very excited when they touch it above pants, but when they actually see it, they don’t want to do it anymore. They offer me handjobs, and blowjobs, and other stuff, but…” Token took two big gulps of his beer releasing a frustrated huff “I haven’t been laid in so long, I’m going crazy!”

David laughed gaining a glare from the black boy.

“I guess it’s a curse more than a blessing, uh?”

“Yes, it is…”

“Sorry, man. You’ll find your girl someday.”

They stayed a bit longer there by themselves, joking and brooding over their own miseries.

-

That night Tweek and Craig went out to dinner by themselves, happy to have a date night in a new and different place, the others choosing to order pizzas. Being Friday night, Kenny and Clyde decided to hit the town and try their luck.

Token, Cartman and Stan were playing a car racing game in pairs, whoever lost giving the controller to the one waiting. David was on the easy chair next to them, Kyle began sitting on the armchair but ended up on David’s lap, both looking at memes on David’s phone.

At some point Token’s phone rang and he picked up, Clyde’s voice audible to all in the room, sounding a bit drunk but happy. He asked Token if they could invite some girls for Kenny’s party. Token laughed and accepted with the condition that he worked hard on the cleaning the following day. They had decided to do a barbeque and take advantage of the back yard and the nice weather, so there was enough space to invite a few people over. Close to midnight Tweek and Craig finally arrived and they decided to make some popcorn and watch a movie before heading to bed. 

Kyle was leaving the bathroom after brushing his teeth, already on his pajamas, when he felt a strong pair of arms hug him from behind. He felt David’s chest against his back, gasping when he felt a kiss just below his ear.

“Hey, gorgeous.” Kyle smiled and looked up at him, pulling his face closer for a kiss. “You coming over today?”

“I…” Kyle’s smile fell a bit and he bit his lip. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not? He only had a few beers, he’s fine.” David turned Kyle around, still hugging him against himself but now able to look at his face. 

Kyle distractedly ran his hands over the other’s chest, wondering how could he turn him down without hurting him or making him mad. He was still worried about Stan and didn’t want a repeat from the previous night. He had been looking at him every once in a while when he was playing. He had woken up with a smile from their nap but as the night progressed his mood went visibly down.

He had caught Stan also sneaking peeks at them occasionally, he noticed how his eyes had fallen to David’s hand casually rubbing his thigh, or to the thumb from the hand he was holding him in place with gently rubbing the strip of uncovered skin between his shirt and his pants. Stan’s frown had grown a little deeper every time David did anything on him.

After the previous night’s breakdown, it was obvious to Kyle that Stan was still affected by the end of his almost 10-year relationship. It hadn’t been that long ago, after all. Kyle had always been a constant in his life, single and at his side, so seeing him acting like that when he was still hurting from the break-up probably made him feel worse, even if he wasn’t saying anything. If that was the case, the last thing Kyle wanted was for his best friend to lay in bed alone with his thoughts knowing what Kyle would be doing at the very moment.

“He’ll be fine…” David’s voice brought back to reality, focusing on the other boy again. “I want to sleep with you. And I mean sleep, we rarely get to share a bed.”

Kyle smiled; it did sound tempting waking up in David’s arms. But when he thought about Stan in pain it made him want to say no.

“I want that too... but I don’t want him to be there alone thinking about Wendy and torturing himself.”

David sighed; he was annoyed that he wanted to stay with Stan but protesting would get him nowhere.

“Fine… but you have to make it up to me.”

“What do you want?” asked Kyle raising an eyebrow suspiciously. 

“Mmh… Let’s see…” David grinned and leaned down tracing Kyle’s earlobe with his tongue, making him shiver. “Next time you take a shower I want you to think about me and play with yourself.” He hugged the shorter boy a bit tighter, his lips just hovering over his ear. “I want you to use your fingers to fuck yourself… but not until the end, you’re not allowed to come. Then you find me and tell me all about it.”

“Wow.” Kyle laughed shaking his head although he couldn’t deny he was a bit turned on imagining it. “Alright, I can do that, I guess…”

“Will you?”

“Maybe.” He cupped David’s face, getting closer to give him a kiss. “I guess you’ll find out tomorrow.”

“Deal…” David released him heading to the stairs, turning to look at him one last time. “Good night…”

Kyle winked at him and headed into the room seeing Stan already in bed, checking his phone.

“Hey. You’re not on Insta, are you?”

“…No.”

Kyle sighed and closed the door behind him, turning the lights off before getting into bed.

“Well, stop it. Nothing good is gonna come out of it.”

Stan didn’t reply but turned to plug his phone and left it on the nightstand, lying comfortably on his side to look at Kyle. The redhead bit his lip as he looked at Stan, wishing there was something he could to make him feel better. He looked so sad. Kyle didn’t want to repeat the same things he always said to him, but there wasn’t much else he could say. 

“I’m not even mad, you know?” Stan said in a quiet voice.

“About what?”

“Wendy. Being out there having some… adult fun with some guy. I have to say, in her pictures the guy looks hot. I get it.”

Kyle laughed, pushing his shoulder.

“Dude, that’s pretty gay.”

“Look who’s talking.” Replied Stan raising an eyebrow “You’re pretty gay. But I mean it. Did you know that once we agreed to not hold each other accountable for what we did during breaks? It’s not allowed to use during fights.”

“Really? That’s… kind of fucked up.”

“What? No, it makes sense. We are single in those moments. Besides, there is no point in bringing into a relationship shit from outside it.”

“Yes, but… You talk as if those ‘breaks’ are just a normal part of your relationship, like, I don’t know, Sunday mornings. The fact that you guys have rules about them seems kinda messed up to me.”

“Well… I guess they were. I’m so done with this. I don’t want to go back.”

“It’s not the first time I hear you say that.”

“If I said it I always did it out of anger. I mean it now. I… I want to move on.”

Kyle smiled and put a hand on Stan’s cheek, wishing that was true.

“I guess time will tell.”

“I know you don’t believe me, but I’m serious. I’ve never felt this way but I do now. I’m finally ready.”

“Really. What changed?”

“You did.”

“Me?”

Stan nodded, putting a hand on the one Kyle had resting on his cheek. Kyle blushed realizing how similar, although mirrored, their positions were from the night before. He didn’t have the guts to kiss him though, Stan would remember this one. 

“Yes, you. The whole thing with David made me realize that there is so much more beyond Wendy. Not gonna lie, it’s very confusing for me. You being gay, I mean. I’m still dealing with that new info about you. But…”

“But…?”

“But I feel like… like it opened my eyes a bit…” Stan scooted closer with a sigh. “So let her be with her hot guy, I’m ready to move on.”

“I’m so happy to hear that… And just for the record, you’re pretty hot too.”

That took Stan a bit by surprise but smiled.

“With you being gay and all that sounds more like a compliment than pity so thank you.”

“You’re welcome. We should really try to sleep if we want to go to the market tomorrow before the party.

“Yeah…” Stan closed his eyes, slowly relaxing. “Good night, Kyle…”

“Good night, Stan…”

Kyle watched his handsome face trying not to imagine actually kissing him. He wasn’t sure when it happened but eventually, they both fell asleep.

-

Meanwhile, David was sitting outside, lying on one of the reclining chaise longues the Black family had outside. A couple of windows still had light in them but other than that he was in the dark, with only the moonlight shining over the backyard.

He wasn’t happy, that much was obvious. He should be with Kyle right now. He had really been looking forward this week and getting away from South Park for some days so he could have some time with Kyle, free to do whatever they wanted in the way they couldn’t at home, away from prying eyes. He brought the cigarette he was holding to his lips and smiled, remembering the date they had in the morning. He knew Kyle wouldn’t want to call it a date, but for him, that’s exactly what it had been. He could even sneak in a quickie, although that was not the part David truly valued. 

In the evening Token had helped him keep Stan occupied to let the redhead free, and he had loved being able to just cuddle up with Kyle and goof around. But just like the redhead, he had also noticed Stan’s glances and change of mood. He was learning to keep an eye on Stan because that could determine how Kyle acted. He knew Kyle wasn’t coming to his room even before he asked, but he still had to try.

He felt like that was so fucking unfair. He felt like Kyle was with him, not Stan, so he should be a priority. But his brain knew better. He killed the cigarette and lit up a new one, he tended to chain-smoke when he was stressed. The truth was that Kyle’s rule to keep it a casual ‘friends with benefits’ kind of thing meant that he couldn’t complain. At first, he had been so excited to get a chance with the guy he loved. So happy that he could finally be with Kyle that he went for it without a second thought. He really thought that would be enough.

And it had been, for a while. But the more time passed, the more it frustrated him that Kyle loved someone else, that Kyle loved Stan. He was devoting himself to the redhead, and it was no effort, really, but… 

“Fuck!”

David felt a burning sensation on his fingers and jumped, the cigarette butt falling from his hand when it burned all by itself. He picked it up from the ground and threw it in the ashtray. Had more than a minute actually passed? He hadn’t even noticed that one. He sighed, lighting up a new one.

What was he supposed to do? He had hoped that Kyle’s feelings would slowly change, that Kyle would love him instead, but that wasn’t happening. Especially now that Stan was clinging to him because of the breakup. It was so unfair, he and Kyle were so good together.

It’s not like there weren’t feelings at all between them, he loved the redhead, every time he saw Kyle he smiled, he just couldn’t help it. And the same happened to Kyle, he had seen it, every time Kyle spotted him, he smiled. But it wasn’t enough, it wasn’t love, Kyle didn’t love him. He knew it, and that was increasingly difficult to ignore. 

Sometimes he felt like he couldn’t afford to relax. As if Kyle wouldn’t be with him anymore if he didn’t make him enjoy every second, if he wasn't so devoted. Especially sex. When they were together his brain disconnected and instincts took over. He was the kind of person that took more pleasure from making their partner feel good than from enjoying it himself. So, it wasn’t difficult trying to give Kyle the best time possible, it came naturally to him, but sometimes he wondered. He wondered if Kyle would lose interest in him if sex wasn’t that good. Now that they were more ‘settled’, it hurt a little bit to think that sex was really the main thing that kept them together. Sometimes he just wanted to let loose, to be able to be with Kyle even if he was in a bad mood, even if he wasn't being as 'perfect' as he could. Would Kyle leave him then?

As he had told Token, every part of Kyle’s body was his, but not his heart. His heart was Stan’s, that's what worried David. He knew why Kyle couldn’t stop being in love with Stan, what kept him hooked. It was this… way that Stan had to look at him, to talk to him, like he was some kind of precious thing.

He agreed.

But lately… he wasn’t sure if Kyle had noticed it, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to point it out, but the way Stan looked at Kyle had changed. As if Kyle wasn’t just someone he cared about, but someone he _wanted_. Maybe Stan wasn’t entirely straight? Was that possible or it was just paranoia? He felt so conflicted.

He lit up another cigarette.

If it turned out that Stan was bisexual... On the one hand, he was the kind of person that would do anything to make the person he loves happy. On the other… that meant losing what he had himself, he didn’t want to lose that. He didn’t want to sacrifice his own happiness. He needed to do something. The next day was Kenny’s barbeque party and apparently Clyde and Kenny were going to bring girls.

The objective was clear. He needed to hook Stan up with someone. He knew there was a chance that it would hurt Kyle, but to be fair he was used to seeing Stan with someone else. He would get over it, even if he had to force himself a little.

Just as he was thinking that he heard noises, and the living room’s light turned on. Clyde and Kenny appeared, instantly spotting him.

“David!!” Clyde exclaimed happily, Kenny hushing him with a laugh.

“It’s late, keep it down.”

“But I’m happy!”

They approached David and Kenny laid down on the other lounge chair, Clyde dropping on the grass with a smile.

“Tonight was awesome!”

David laughed, lighting up a new cigarette.

“You guys had fun?”

“Oh, yeah!” answered Clyde with a grin. “And tomorrow’s is gonna even be better! We’re gonna get some!”

“Many girls coming over?”

Kenny smiled, silently rolling a joint. It was always funny for him seeing Clyde so excited.

“A few, yeah! Enough for the odds to be in our favor. Well not your odds, you don’t need girls for that.”

“No, no I don’t.”

“Awesome! I love gays, man. Not only is that less competition but they take another guy with them. 10/10, I wish more guys were gay.”

“I thought you were trying to get back with Bebe though.”

“Not really, no.” Clyde crossed his arms under his head, looking up the stars. “We still do it every once in a while, but that’s pretty much it.”

“You okay with that?”

“Sure, man. It’s not like I love her or anything, we’re not Stan and Wendy. No harm in having some safe fun when we feel like it.”

“About that…”

Kenny lit up the joint giving a good couple of puffs before offering but the others declined. David considered the best way to say what he needed.

“Stan seems really down, and Wendy seems to be way up. Maybe we can get him one of those girls to cheer him up a little?”

“Oh, yeah!” Clyde gasped, sitting up. “We should totally do that!”

“Kenny, any thoughts? He’s your friend.”

David turned to look at the blond, who was lying peacefully, contemplating the night sky.

“Well, you know I’ll all pro getting laid… I wonder if that would help the situation though….”

“Sure, it would. It’d help him keep his mind off Wendy for a while.”

“And give you a nice chance for some private time with Kyle, no Stan to distract him. In fact, that may make him throw himself into your arms, wouldn't you say?”

“I… guess…?”

David decided to play it dumb, he could never tell what Kenny was thinking but he always had the feeling the blond had a lot more going on in his head that he led on. Kenny stayed silent, looking deep in thought.

“Yeah!! Everybody gets some!” exclaimed Clyde happily, making Kenny chuckle. 

“We’ll see tomorrow how it goes.” finally said Kenny. “Maybe this is a good idea.”

“I think it is,” said David smashing the cigarette he had in his hand. “I think I’ll head to bed now.”

He got up and the other two wished him good night. That thought stayed in his head as he made his way up to his room. Yeah. He would see how tomorrow went.

-

When Stan and Kyle woke up the sun was already up, warm light filling the room. Kyle stirred a bit and his eyes fluttered open. 

“Mmh…” he turned around lazily on the bed, he felt so happy when he woke up and didn’t have to check the time on his phone afraid that he might have overslept. He saw Stan asleep at his side, hair mussed and hugging his pillow. Kyle smiled, he looked even more handsome in the morning light. He could get used to waking up like this, he hated that they only had one night left.

He sat up and stretched, getting up quietly so he wouldn’t wake up Stan. When he came back from the bathroom to relieve himself though, the black-haired boy was awake and checking his phone. 

“Hey, you’re awake.”

“Morning…” Stan left his phone aside and stretched.

“Wanna have breakfast here? I think I heard people in the kitchen. Although I think we should eat something at the market, they had good things yesterday.”

“Sure, yeah. Sounds good.”

Stan left the room and Kyle changed into some comfortable clothes, heading downstairs. He found Kenny and Cartman on the couch eating cereal, watching some show he didn’t recognize. 

“Morning!” Kenny waved at him as Cartman grunted as a greeting. Kyle sat next to the blond, taking his phone out while he waited for Stan to come down.

“Morning. You woke up early today, considering you went out light night.”

“I didn’t drink much. What are you up today?” 

“Stan and I are going to the market; he didn’t get to go yesterday. We’ll have breakfast and walk around a bit.”

“Ooh, can I come?”

“Sure, Ken. It’s your birthday weekend! Maybe we can find something you like; we’ll get it for you.”

“Not needed but thanks.”

“I’m going too.” Said Cartman as Kenny got up to wash the bowl he was eating from. He made and attempt to give his own bowl to Kenny but the blond just flipped him off, making Kyle snicker and Cartman get up grumbling under his breath following him to the kitchen.

Stan came down fully dressed while the others were bickering near the sink, but soon got things done and the four of them left. To Cartman’s dismay they decided to not take the car but take advantage of the sunny day and make the short hike to town. For the first time in the past weeks Stan looked truly happy, with just the four of them messing around it felt like the old days. Kenny’s excitement over the party was contagious, even Cartman was being easier than normal. Stan couldn’t help smiling when he saw Cartman and Kyle joking and laughing together as if they’d always been the best of friends. They not only visited the market but explored the whole town, eventually stopping at a café to rest.

It was almost 1 when Kyle’s phone rang, David’s face popping up on the screen. The redhead excused himself and stepped away while Stan took out his wallet, Kenny trying to get the waitress’ attention.

“I guess they’re starting things up.” Said Cartman getting up and stretching.

“Yeah!” Kenny got up as well clapping his hands, the smile that had been present the whole trip brightening up his face. “I’m starving and the girls will be there in a couple of hours, time to start the party!”

“Actually, why don’t guys go on ahead?” said Stan glancing at the redhead. “Kyle and I have some stuff to talk about. Alone.”

“Oh, come on!” Kenny pouted at him, tugging at his shoulder. “Now? You had plenty of time, and you’ll have even more after the party.”

“I know, I’m sorry Ken. But lately it’s hard to speak with him without… Mmh…”

“Without David around.”

“Yeah…”

“You could do that at night, you guys sleep together.”

“It’s not… It’s hard to explain but I… I need the lake. It’s kind of our thing, I know it’ll make it easier.”

“Easier?” Kenny sighed, waving his hand. “Fine. Don’t take too long, okay?”

“We won’t, I promise.”

Kenny nodded and pushed Cartman to make him start walking. Stan paid the waitress and waited for Kyle to come back.

“Hey, that was David. They are starting the barbeque; we should get going. Where are Kenny and Cartman?”

“They went first, I thought maybe we could stop by the lake?”

“Sure…? We could’ve done that with the guys.”

Kyle looked at him a bit confused as Stan stood up, heading back towards the lake.

“No, I wanted to talk to you alone. Remember the car ride, coming here?”

“Trust me, I’ll never forget that car ride.”

“Great, so. I told you that it wasn’t the moment but we would talk about it.”

“And you chose now?”

Stan frowned; he was starting to feel stupid for wanting to do it in that particular moment. He didn’t really think about it, he had the idea and went for it.

“Yes, okay? We can spare an hour.”

“I mean, I guess. We shouldn’t take too long though, I told David we were on our way.”

“He can go a little longer without you, okay? He’ll survive.”

“Okay, no need to get snappy…”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it to sound like that.”

They went the rest of the way in silence, Stan bracing himself knowing David would be in the conversation as Kyle gathered the courage to tell the person he was in love with, probably all the clues he needed to figure that out. He knew he needed to be careful and he started mentally going over what he should or shouldn’t say. When the lake came into view, he still had no clue.

As they sat down near the shore, shielded from the sun by a large tree, there was still a tense silence between them. Kyle cleared his throat and glanced towards Stan that was just sitting there, looking at him. They stared at each other, Kyle starting to blush as the memory of the kiss Stan gave him two nights ago creeped into his mind.

“Ready to do this?” asked Stan tapping his knees.

“As ready as I’m going to be, I guess.” Kyle let his eyes wander over the lake, taking a deep breath. “I don’t know how to even start.”

“Well, for starters, it would’ve been nice of you told me yourself that’s you’re… you know.”

“Fair point. Stan, I’m… I’m gay. Surprise!”

“Yeah, I got that.” Stan chuckled raising an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you tell me? I mean… it’s me. Why would you hide something so big about yourself from me? You know I’m not a homophobe, I wouldn’t have cared.”

“I know that. I had my reasons and trust me, they had nothing to do with you being a homophobe.” 

“What were those reasons then? It’s time to tell me.”

Kyle inhaled deeply and nodded, buying himself some time. This was it, this was ‘the talk’ he avoided for years but knew he needed to have with Stan eventually but hadn’t prepared himself for it.

“I guess that I… I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable around me. I didn’t want you to…” Kyle closed and opened his fist a few times trying to find the right words. “I didn’t want you to have suspicions or second thoughts about our moments together.”

“Second thoughts?” Stan looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… Remember when Tweek and Craig first came out? Because of the Asian girls?”

“Japanese, my dad told me.”

“Right. Remember how confused we all were? And what happened then? Most of us accepted it but some started wondering. Wondering if Tweek and Craig had checked them out or if there were hidden motivations behind the simplest of things like a smile or a casual touch. I didn’t want that to happen to us.”

“So… you never told me you were gay because you didn’t want me to think that you may have feelings for me?”

“…Yes. I mean, it could ruin our friendship, and all that…”

“That’s not true, dude. Come on.” Stan felt unsatisfied with that answer but if he thought about it, he couldn’t really argue. He had found out about it only a couple of weeks ago and so far, he felt so confused and conflicted. “I wouldn’t believe that… We’d still be best friends.”

“Are you sure? Can you honestly look at me in the eye and tell me that nothing would be different? That our friendship would be exactly the same?”

Stan fidgeted a bit in place, of course he couldn’t do that. He had absolutely no intention of stopping being Kyle’s best friend or putting any distance between them. Quite the opposite, all he had been trying the past couple of months was to get closer to Kyle, to fight this feeling of losing him.

“I can’t promise you that it’d be the same. Maybe it would but maybe not. But that doesn’t mean it’d be bad. Maybe it’d be better, we’d be even closer.”

“You say that now, but it could’ve gone so bad. Or made things awkward or…”

“Or not. Life is full of twists and turns, who knows what could’ve happened. Maybe we’d be together instead… of…”

Stan’s voice trailed off as he realized what he was saying, and his eyes went towards Kyle, that was looking back at him with wide eyes and a weird expression that he wasn’t sure how to decipher; but Stan could see in those eyes that he had understood the comment and it had rattled him a bit. Kyle wasn’t visibly reacting to it, positive or negatively, just blushing.

“What?”

“What?” Stan parroted Kyle’s question before shaking his head. “I mean, kidding! Just kidding, of course. You know what I meant.”

“Of course…” Kyle played with his hands feeling his cheeks lit up. His mind kept going back to the kiss, it was hard for him not to think about it every time he looked at Stan. Hearing him say that they could be together, even as a joke, was more than enough to start day-dreaming. It had been so quick and shocking and he wanted to taste Stan’s lips again so badly.

“Aaanyway.” Stan laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head, saying the first thing that popped into his mind to distract Kyle from the ‘joke’. “When did you… How… I mean, you liked girls. I remember you being into girls.” 

“Weell… Yes and no. I normally just went for a girl if I knew she was into me. It’s… kind of embarrassing, but I only wanted a girlfriend. To not be single, you know? I didn’t want to be less than you.”

“What the…? Being single doesn’t make you less than anyone. Is that why you’re with David?”

“No! No, it’s… complicated. But no, I do like David a lot and I like being with him. When I was a kid, though… I didn’t know better. You had Wendy so, as a grew up, I wanted to have someone as well, I wanted us to be more equal. So I jumped at any opportunity that presented, even if I was quite unsuccessful.”

“What about Heidi? You liked her, right?”

“Not really. I just wanted to save her from Cartman, the girls confused me. Again, I saw the chance and went for it…”

“Okay… what about… that homeschooled chick, what was her name?”

“Rebecca… Dude, we were eight at that time. I had never kissed anyone, it felt nice. She was so smart, the smartest person I had ever met, I wanted to get closer to that. So I visited her, we played doctor a couple of times and then the party happen and it all went to shit.”

“You played doctor with her? So you did stuff with girls!”

“Yeah… no. Again, I didn’t know better at the time, and I didn’t have the motivation. We pretended she was a neurosurgeon that was going to operate on my brain, so I just laid there while she explained the operation. 100% sex-free roleplaying.” 

Stan couldn’t help but laugh at that, rubbing his eyes.

“Seriously? That’s how you guys played doctor? Dude, you’re so gay.”

“Yep.”

“I should’ve imagined. Remember when we played truth or dare with Wendy and Bebe? You kissed Bebe and totally freaked out and run away and oh my God how did I not figure out you were gay sooner.”

“Too busy trying to kiss Wendy.”

“Yeeeah… That’s true. Should’ve guessed thought.”

“It’s okay, I didn’t even know myself at the time.”

“How did you know?” Stan ran his tongue over his lips that felt too dry, the question making him a bit nervous. “What made you realize? That you like guys, I mean.” 

“Well… Kissing one. It felt so different, like something exploding in my brain that made it shut down and I just wanted more, more of that. I realized then, that was it. That was how it was supposed to feel. It made me realize a lot of things about myself. Sooo… From then on, only guys.”

“From then on… Wait, that means…” Stan rubbed his temples, conflicted by his feelings. He wanted to know, to know about Kyle, to know everything that had been kept from him, but at the same time he really didn’t. “How many guys have you… em… kissed?”

“Not many, really. I used to be quite the prude, to be honest.”

“You? The intense and impulsive ‘let’s enjoy life’ you?” The comment made Stan laugh, somehow it made him feel relieved. He didn’t have any problem with enjoying sex, as long as you’re single and you’re being safe. Still, something in him was glad.

“Yep.” Kyle shifted a bit in place, his eyes wandering around. Maybe because of his feelings, but looking at Stan felt too intense.

“What changed?”

Kyle opened his mouth and closed it again, Stan’s smile slowly faded knowing the answer.

“Oh. David. Of course.”

“Kinda, yeah… He’s the first guy I’ve actually been with for more than one night.”

They stayed silent for a bit, neither of them knowing, or really wanting to move forward. The air around was tense, a bit uncomfortable, like that conversation was more of a protocol than something they were enjoying. Eventually, Kyle sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

“You’re lucky Stan, you know? You’ve always had love, ever since we were kids. Someone who you love and loves you back. Something meaningful. I’ve never had that, not until… now, I guess.”

Stan looked down, remembering Wendy made him feel the loss. He still had her phone number; they were still friends in social media. Just as always, he could contact her anytime. Make a move, get her back, those were still open possibilities. Just because he made the conscious decision to not do that didn’t mean he was happy about it. Kyle looked at him sadly, biting his lip.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s okay dude” Stan sighed rubbing his face, trying to keep his mind away from Wendy. “Is it love then? You said…”

Both their voices had changed, they had become small and cautious.

“I…” Kyle didn’t know how to answer that. Although David had never said that he loved him, Kyle was pretty sure that was the case. The way the tanned latino treated him, looked at him, did anything to please him. Was that love? He cared so deeply for David, Kyle knew that he would do anything he could to make the Mexican happy, but he wasn’t in love with him. “I don’t know…”

“You don’t know? How can you not know?” Kyle didn’t reply and Stan frowned, unsatisfied with the answer. “How did that happen, anyway? You and David. How long has this been going on?”

“Just a couple of months, really. We… did it at Craig’s party. Tweek and Craig started making out, Kenny was nowhere to be seen, you had gone off with Wendy, most people had already left. We were drunk and alone and it just… ‘It just happened’ kind of thing.”

“O-kay… Since Craig’s party… But if it’s a ‘just happened’ type of thing how did you end up dating? Did he pop the question lying in the afterglow?” he played it off as a joke gently punching Kyle in the shoulder, internally begging for that not to be the case. Imagining them in that scenario, just lying together after sex, naked propositions intimately whispered between them, it was too much to handle. Stan didn’t think he could emotionally deal with that at the moment. Why was he even asking that? To pretend that he was okay with it, to hide some feeling from Kyle that he wasn’t even sure he had?

“What? No!” Kyle looked aside, embarrassed. It just felt so weird discussing that with Stan. “We’re not even dating. A couple of weeks after it happened, we talked about it and we decided that it was fun and maybe we should… keep doing it.”

“Wait, you guys aren’t actually together?”

“I’ve already told you this but you were fucking wasted.” Kyle raised an eyebrow giving Stan a ‘scolding’ look that lasted less than a second. He bit his lips and sat a bit closer. Stan watched him move, trying to remember what Kyle was talking about but everything after the redhead entered the room was dark. “Hey, Stan?”

“Yes?”

“I haven’t seen you lose control like that in such a long time… We haven’t really talked about it. About the breakup.”

Stan groaned rubbing his face, this was not something he was eager to discuss.

“Do we have to?”

“I think we need to.” Kyle smiled raising a hand to cup Stan’s cheek. Stan instinctively closed his eyes and leaned into the touch.

“I really don’t want to.”

“Dude, talk to me…” Stan stared at Kyle’s green eyes, that seemed even brighter in the sun, but said nothing. “I can see you hurting, worse that other times. Different, than other times. I don’t know what to do.”

“You don’t have to do anything, Kyle. I meant what I said last night.” Stan laid down on the grass, looking up at the sky. “I’m done. For good. Period. I know I’ll feel better eventually and move on, I’m just waiting for it to… to pass, I guess.”

Kyle laid down on his side next to him putting a hand on Stan’s shoulder, making the other boy look at him.

“I would do anything to make you feel better, Stan. Don’t shut me out, okay?”

“You, don’t leave me out either. No more lies. No more secrets.”

“I promise.”

“Kyle… Do the hair thing. Please?”

The redhead smiled and ran his hand through Stan’s hair, softly massaging his scalp. Stan hummed and closed his eyes, focusing only on Kyle’s touch. They got a bit closer until their foreheads touched, silently enjoying the peaceful moment. Suddenly, Kyle’s phone started ringing and he sat up looking at the screen, David was calling.

“Hey, what’s up?” Kyle got up and walked a bit away. Stan sighed and got up as well, patting at his clothes to straighten them out. Kyle hung up and went back to Stan, stretching. “It was David, we really need to get going. I told him we’d be there in about 20 minutes.”

“Yeah, it was time anyway. I promised Kenny we wouldn’t take long.”

“Alright, then, let’s go. Party’s waiting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it wasn't too boring and that it helped establish how everyone is feeling at the moment.  
> Next chapter, bbq!


	10. BBQ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there!
> 
> Sorry for the long pause, my laptop died on me and it was kind of a mess getting a new one. A very expensive mess.  
> I'm actively apartment hunting too, which makes the inspiration a bit difficult to come by, but thank you so much to those that left comments and kudos!
> 
> Now that I can finally write again I'll try to not take too long to update. I had to cut this chapter in two because it was going to be massive but it'll give you a good idea about what's coming in the next one.
> 
> That said, hope you enjoy :)
> 
> \---

When Stan and Kyle finally arrived back at the house, there was music coming from the backyard.

“Beer?” asked Stan heading towards the fridge.

“Sure, why not. I’ll go ask Tweek if they need any help.”

Kyle stepped outside and saw David and Token by the grill with everyone else around the table except for Clyde and Kenny who seemed to be holding a Bluetooth speaker, trying to decide on a music. His sight homed in on David, flipping meat with a pair of long kitchen tongs with a beer in his hand. He was wearing simple jeans and a plain, white tank top, and damn he looked hot. He may not have feelings for him, but he could get turn on just by looking at him. Token saw him appear and nudged David on the side, nodding towards the door Kyle was standing in. The Mexican turned around, smiling when he spotted him.

Kyle approached the pair and David passed the tongs to Token, surrounding the redhead’s waist with his arms as soon as he was within reach.

“Look who finally joined us.” David leaned down and kissed him, putting an unruly red curl behind his ear. “Did you guys have a good talk?”

“Well, we did talk. It wasn’t as productive as I would’ve wanted but we cleared up a couple of things.”

“Oh, baby.” David kissed him again a bit more deeply. When he leaned back up, he glanced over Kyle’s shoulder towards the house, Stan was looking at them sipping from one of the beers he was carrying with a face that David really didn’t like. “Come on, a full belly always helps. Food has started to come out.”

The Mexican pulled Kyle’s hand and led him towards the table, giving him one last kiss after Kyle sat down before heading back to the grill to help Token. Stan went towards the table as well and left the beer in front of Kyle, sitting down next to him.

“Thanks.” Kyle smiled and squeezed his arm for a second when their eyes met. How he wished he could help with the pain he saw in them.

“Hey, guys!” Tweek greeted them with a smile handing them both a paper plate. “Want some potato salad? Craig and Clyde made it so I can’t promise you won’t get food poisoning or something.”

“What?” Craig frowned at him and Tweek chuckled, kissing his nose.

“Just kidding, baby. I’m sure it’s delicious.”

“You’re damn right it is.”

“It is pretty good, actually.” Cartman agreed, he had served himself some and was tasting it with an approving hum.

“Thank you!” Clyde sat down happily taking the compliment, lively music filling the air now that he and Kenny were back at the table.

David and Token joined them too setting the tray of meat in the middle, everyone already settled and starting to serve themselves following Cartman’s example. A while after lunch Kenny’s phone started to ring and he checked the screen with a smile that went from ear to ear.

“The girls are here!”

Clyde cheered; he, Kenny and Token went to receive the girls and guide them to the backyard making a quick round of introductions. David and Craig got up to clear the remains of the lunch, as the girls stepped outside, Kenny and Clyde already starting to quite literally try to charm the pants off them. Kyle looked over the girls, he counted six. To him they all looked the same, most of them blondes. There was a girl with hazel brown hair and one whose hair was a dark red, obviously dyed, but that was all the differences he could see.

The first ones to get any attention from them besides the three that had received them were David and Craig, that passed them with the trash and trays used during lunch and came back out with a bucket filled with beers. Neither of them was particularly interested in them, but David being his social self, had no problem in starting conversation with them to try and make them more comfortable, and the girls seemed to love them.

"You're not jealous?" Asked Cartman raising an eyebrow.

"Of course not, why would I be?"

"David seems to be getting some attention. One of them might steal him away "

"Please. They’re girls, what do I have to worry about? David is not into pussies."

"Yes, he is. I mean, he's dating you."

Stan burst out laughing as Kyle glared at Cartman for a second before punching him in the arm and getting up.

"Fuck you."

The redhead walked away from them and went to sit with Tweek, that had wandered away and was nursing a beer playing with his phone.

"Why is he mad? I'm only speaking the truth."

"That was a good one, I'll give you that." Stan chuckled and looked over at the yard, Kenny and Clyde seemed to be in their element. "The girls seem to be getting comfortable. You better be nice if YOU want any pussy."

"I’m always nice, what are you talking about."

Stan stood up and went to the kitchen, taking out the bottles of alcohol he had left in the freezer. Token apparently saw him and followed him inside, deciding to help carry the bottles of soda and glasses while Stan took the liquor. Since Craig and David had cleaned up the table outside they set everything on it, Kenny and Clyde guiding the girls there.

"Stan, you're the man!" Kenny smiled happily, starting to prepare a few drinks.

"Ladies, this is Stan." Clyde put an arm around his shoulders, making him face the girls. "Stand-up guy who was recently dumped by his girlfriend of ten years." A couple of the girls let out an 'aww', Stan turned to Clyde with a frown and a questioning look. "Just trust me, okay?" mumbled the brunette between his teeth so the girls wouldn't hear before facing them again. "Ain't that unfair? Ten years of dedication in pleasing her, and now that she's going to college, she decides she wants to be free."

"That is unfair! That bitch!" one of the girls said looking genuinely offended.

"She's not a bitch, we just... wanted different things."

"Aww, you still defend her." Another one of the girls smiled and squeezed his arm. "Anything we can do to make you feel better?"

The insinuation in her voice wasn't lost to Stan but he just smiled politely.

"Not really but thank you."

"Well, he really is good at pleasing women," added Clyde again "So anything you need, don't hesitate to ask. Starting with drinks! Ladies, choose your poison."

He pointed at Kenny that had finished preparing drinks and started handing them out, Stan gladly accepting his. They suddenly heard an excited shriek and the whole group turned towards the couple of girls that were still talking with Craig and David.

"Basketball? From South Park? I knew you looked familiar!" A short blonde girl was giggling at David "You're Nines, right? Nines Rodriguez? Yeah, you are!"

David and Craig shared a confused look and turned towards the girl.

"Nines?"

"Yeah! Your number is 99 so we call you Nines!"

"We?"

"Yeah! We're from Boulder, my friend has a boyfriend on the team, so we go to the games sometimes. It's awesome to see you play, by the way." the girl grinned and ran her hand over David's arm, humming appreciatively "Look at these muscles, they glisten under the sun! You must work out often."

"Well, it's a hot day. Not that much, really." David smiled at the girl who was so blatantly flirting with him, shooting a glare in Craig's direction when the other laughed. "Do you girls want a drink? I think they're serving over there."

"We are!" Kenny raised the bottles and David headed straight there, subtly finishing the conversation.

Tweek sipped from his beer glancing over the group.

"Seems like David has an admirer. Too bad he's not playing for the same team."

"Too bad for who?"

"For her, obviously."

"Please. Even if he was straight, they're not even in the same league."

"Right." Tweek chuckled taking another sip of his beer. "Have you guys made any plans? We don't have that much school left."

"Not really... I mean, I'm going to college. That's happening, it only depends on where I get accepted."

"Any ideas?"

"Princeton would be nice. I could stay with my family; I wouldn't have to pay rent. Or maybe Columbia. Make a life in Manhattan."

"The big apple, uh. What about David?"

"I don't know." Kyle shrugged "He has a long, happy life in front of him, I’m sure. I just... I don't think I can give him that."

"I know, man. Which is a pity, you two are great together. But I can see it, even if Craig doesn't. I think he secretly wishes you were a girl so David could knock you up."

"The fuck." Kyle took Tweek's beer out of his hand, finishing the little that was left. "See what?"

"The way he looks at you is not the same way you look at him. It's the way you look at Stan."

Kyle looked at him and opened his mouth, unsure of what to say to that.

"Did David tell you...?"

"He didn't need to. I'm surprised not more people figured that out. What about Stan? Is he gonna follow you to New York?"

"What? No, why would he."

"It's a possibility."

"Since when? No, no. He'll always be my best friend but... At some point I need to let him go. I hope that moving away will help me move on."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. I'm so ready for it. _So_ fucking ready."

"That's okay. There is still time for you to change your mind. Speaking of the Devil, hey Stan! "

Kyle looked up and saw Stan approaching them with two glasses.

"Hey guys! Fun drinks started and you looked so comfy over here I guessed I would bring them over to you, so you don't have to get up."

"What a gentleman!" Tweek smiled and accepted one of the glasses, winking at Stan. "You know, if I was single, I would be all over you."

"What?" Stan gasped, dramatically putting a hand on his chest. "Tweek Tweak finally flirting back! What took you so long?"

"Having alcohol in my veins with Craig not being next to me." He chuckled taking a sip from the drink, humming happily. "Sweet, I like it."

"You guys plan on joining the party or what?"

"In a while, we're talking stuff."

"Alright. Well, if you ever dump him give me a call, yeah?"

"Not gonna happen but I'll keep it in mind."

"That's all I ask for. You okay, Kyle?"

"Mmh? Oh, yeah! Thanks for the drink, dude."

"No problem. See you guys in a while then."

Tweek waved him goodbye as he left, taking another sip of his drink.

"He does have a nice ass. Although to be fair, if I was single, I would be all over David too."

"Dude! You and Craig okay?"

"Oh yeah, we're great. But you know, we have been together forever. And we will probably be together forever. Which is awesome, I fucking love him, and I wanna spend the rest of my life with him. But… sometimes I wish we had fallen in love later in life. After we've... experimented, and... you know, slept with other people. Tried new stuff."

"Tweek..."

"What? Dreaming is free."

"You sure you guys okay...?"

"Yees! Yes, we are. We have it all figured out. And I'm excited for it, really!"

"Oh, you do?"

"Yeah! We'll get a little place, we'll both study and work. I'll cook and get groceries. Craig will clean and do the laundry."

"That's nice. He can't cook?"

"Oh, he can. I'm simply better at it."

"Yeah, you really are a good cook. Craig's a lucky guy, I wish David cooked like you."

"He can't cook? I mean, he grew up in a restaurant."

"Not in the kitchen. I mean, he did these chicken fajitas once, they were amazing. His omelets are quite decent, too. But that's pretty much it."

"That's a pity."

"Nah, that's okay. He's got other talents. He does know how to toss a salad."

It took Tweek a couple of seconds to process what he said as Kyle drank. When he finally did, he burst out laughing, wiping a tear when the short blonde girl that was flirting with David walked up to them.

"Hey, you two! Why are you doing here all by your lonesome? I'm Claire, by the way."

"Hey. You're that girl that wanted to get into David's pants." said Kyle while Tweek regained his breath.

"Who? Oh, you mean Nines! Yeeah, but he said he's seeing someone. I tried to tell him that it wasn't a problem, but he wouldn't budge! Can you believe that?"

"A guy that's faithful?"

"Yeah! I mean, I have a boyfriend but it's Spring Break, you know? Mmh… You're on the team too, right? I remember you. Anyway, I thought I would come talk to you two instead. You're both very cute."

"Thank you." said Tweek raising his glass to her. "We're also very gay, but thanks for stopping by."

"Oh. Well. Okay. Bye then."

The girl made a pouty face and walked off, Kyle giving Tweek a smile.

"That was cold. But awesome. I don't like that chick very much."

"I noticed, you're welcome."

"I can't believe that just happened."

"Why not? We _are_ cute."

"You certainly are. Mmh… talking about things that happened...” Kyle bit his lip nervously, glancing over at the people to make sure nobody was nearby. “There is something I wanted to tell you about..."

"Sure, what is it?"

"You can't tell anyone, okay? I mean it, not even Craig. _Especially_ not Craig."

"Em... Sure?"

"Promise me, Tweek!"

"Yes, yes, I promise! What is it?"

"Well... Remember a couple of nights ago, the poker night? Stan had a little bit to drink."

"A little bit? We had a little bit, according to David he got totally shit-faced."

"That's... correct. And... Something happened. Something weird."

"Weird how?"

"Em... We were up a while; he wasn't feeling well. He had been stalking Wendy's Insta, got really down. I finally put him to bed and we talked a bit. I... Shit. I kind of told him that I love him."

"You what?"

"And then he kissed me."

"He WHAT?!"

"Keep it down, will you!"

Kyle looked at the group again to make sure nobody was listening to them. He saw Stan, trapped between Kenny and Clyde, glance over at them but his attention was stolen back quickly by the girls they were chatting with.

"Sorry, sorry." Tweek lowered his voice, moving a bit closer to Kyle. "Oh, my God. Are you for real? He kissed you? Was it a friendly kiss or...?"

"No, Tweek. It wasn't a friendly kiss, it was a kiss kiss. With tongue. I think I felt him dry-hump my thigh for a few seconds."

"Holy shit! Kyle! Did you two talk about it?"

"No, no. He was far too gone, he doesn't remember."

"But you're gonna tell him, right?"

"No! I guess not? He was very drunk; he didn't mean it."

"Of course he did, what are you talking about. You should tell him."

"No. He's going through shit, he's gonna freak out if I tell him he did that. He either won't talk to me if it's not to apologize and assure me he's not gay or won't talk to me at all."

"You don't know that."

"Fine, what about David?"

Tweek sighed and finished his drink, watching the group. David and Craig were now sitting on the table with Token and Cartman. He remembered the deal he made with Craig about not getting involved and not pushing Kyle towards Stan. But this only confirmed what he had always suspected, Stan and Kyle were meant to be. As inconvenient as it was.

"Well… I'm not gonna say that you guys aren't together so you are technically single. We both know it would hurt like a bitch, this thing you guys have being official or not. Feelings would get hurt."

"But? Sounds like there is a 'but' coming."

"No 'but's. That's just how it is. I love David, I don't want him to get hurt."

"So... I should take this to my grave then."

"Kyle... I love the double dates and the 4 of us doing shit together. I wish it could stay like this forever."

"But?"

"BUT. When only one person of the relationship has feelings, someone ends up hurt. We both know that someone is going to be David. I don't want that moment to come any faster than it needs to, but this will end at some point."

Kyle sipped from his drink, deep in thought. They both knew the rules, it was more a deal than a relationship. It had been so simple the way David had proposed the whole thing. They knew what it was, and what was eventually coming. He really hoped David remembered that and didn't get hurt when the school year ended and they had to split.

"So... Any advice? I don't wanna hurt David. And I don't wanna get my hopes up that it was anything else than a drunken, lonely to kiss with Stan. It's just a bit hard not to think about it every time I look at him." 

"Mmh... Well... The only new, unknown factor here is Stan and that kiss. There are a lot of girls here today, let's wait and see what he does. That will give us some kind of hint."

"Sounds like a plan, I guess. Let's join the others, I need a smoke."

Kyle got up and helped Tweek, who was obviously starting to get tipsy, to get up as well and go the group that was slowly dividing. Clyde and Token were chatting with a couple of the girls, Kenny and David were talking with a couple more, Stan and Cartman seemed to be entertaining the other two. Craig came towards the table when they sat down shaking the pack of cards.

“You guys wanna play something?”

“Sure, baby!” Tweek gave him a kiss and moved towards the drinks, preparing three while Kyle and prepared the game. 

As time passed everybody seemed to be getting loose and louder. Kyle couldn’t help but smile when he looked at Kenny, he seemed to be having the time of his life. David eventually left him to join the game at the table, and the blond couldn’t look happier to be left alone with the two girls.

Stan and the brunette had been talking for a while, Kyle didn't know about what but Stan seemed comfortable enough. It kind of made sense, the girl seemed to be doing most of the talking with Stan saying stuff here and there which is what normally happened with Wendy. Kyle couldn't help glancing at them every once in a while over his cards but it was Clyde's voice that suddenly grabbed everyone's attention.

"Woo! Go Stan!"

All those sitting at the table looked towards the double doors that led inside the house, seeing Stan follow the girl inside.

"Relax your tits, Clyde. We're just gonna buy cigarettes, we'll be right back."

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Use protection!"

Stan flipped him off and Clyde laughed, focusing on Claire's lips again once the couple was gone. Kyle could feel Tweek looking at him and was grateful when the blond didn't say anything. He focused back on his cards, missing the subtle smile on David’s face.

“So, whose turn is it?”

The moment gone, they turned back to the game. It didn't take long for Clyde to sneak inside too, the others gradually doing the same.

\-----

"Nice ID."

"Thanks, it's very useful." Stan brought one of the recently bought cigarettes to his lips. Evelyn, the girl with brown hair, following his example.

"I need to get myself one of those."

"You should. At least for alcohol, it's bullshit that we can't buy until 21."

"So true!"

They had followed a little road to a clearing that let them see the town beneath them. The girl had suggested laying on the hood of the car but Stan was too careful with it to do that, so they were sitting inside instead. Stan looked at her, that complete stranger that was sitting in his car, and realized that her opinions would probably be neutral. He had a good idea of her personality because of all the time that they spent talking back at the house, and he guessed she wouldn't be alarmed.

"Hey, can I ask you something? Have you ever considered hooking up with another girl?"

"Not really." She laughed, rolling down the window to blow out the smoke. "I just did. Or do, if I feel like it."

"Oh. So... You're bi?

"I don't know, to be honest. Sometimes a girl's sexuality can be a moving target. There isn't as much prejudice as there is with boys."

"Yeah, I know...”

"Why, are you? Or you think you are?"

"I don't know, maybe? I have this friend, and I kinda like him but... You know, he's my best friend and he's a guy, so..."

"Does he like guys?"

"Yes, yes. He's gay. That's not the problem."

"I don't see the problem then. Just give it a try, see if it's your thing. If he wants to as well, of course."

"But I don't know jack about... Gay stuff."

"You never did anal with Wendy?"

"What? No! No..." Stan took a deep drag from the cigarette, brushing some hair out of his forehead. "I jokingly asked a couple of times and she said 'Maybe one day', but eventually we never did."

"Oh, that's too bad. I hope she does try it one day, it's good if it's done right."

"Wait, you've done it?" Stan looked at her with surprise, Evelyn nodded. "Could you... explain to me how to do it properly...? Like, how not to hurt him and stuff?"

The girl laughed, amused at Stan's sudden peak of interest, very visible on his face.

"Sure, I guess I could give you some pointers."

Evelyn looked at him up and down. He was hot, with a sincere-looking, handsome face. He seemed like a good enough guy, and she loved the way he had talked about that Wendy girl. Not bitter or hateful because they broke up but praising her. For Evelyn it was always a good sign when a guy was able to talk like that about his exes, it made her feel like it was the kind of guy that respected women, like he was going to talk about you the same way if you were with him. She threw the finished cigarette out the window and moved to sit on his lap, resting her arms on Stan's shoulders.

"I think I'll just show you. I believe in learning by doing."

"Wait, wait. You mean..."

"Oh, yeah."

"Oh, shit."

\-------

They played a few more rounds and decided to stop since it was starting to get dark and hard to see. 

"We're the only ones left." commented Craig lighting up a cigarette, David taking his own pack out and doing the same.

"Seems that way." Kyle stood up and went towards the bottles inspecting what was left.

"Be a dear and make me one as well, please?" asked Tweek stretching in his seat. He was obviously still a bit tipsy but focusing on the game had helped bring him down a bit. "How many of the others do you think are fucking right now?"

"Everyone." David stood up and joined Kyle to prepare a drink too, laughing to himself. "I can't believe even Cartman is getting laid."

"Well, he knows how to be charming when he wants." Kyle took the two drinks he had prepared and sat back down next to Tweek. "Or pretend to be, at least. I’m sure the alcohol helped."

"Do you think they'll be back?" Tweek sipped from his fresh drink humming happily and took the cigarette out of Craig's hand.

"Nah, it's late. I think we're done for today." Craig in turn took Tweek's drink, gulping down about half of it. "Marsh has to come back at some point, I guess. I don't think they will actually sleep in the car."

"Who knows?" David shrugged his shoulders sitting back down next to Craig. "Let him have his fun, looked like he needed it."

"We can have fun too!" Tweek glanced at Kyle that was silently drinking and grabbed his face as soon as the redhead put his drink down. "Right, Kyle?"

Before Kyle could react Tweek leaned in and planted a passionate kiss on his lips, both Craig and David pausing his movements and staring at them. Tweek leaned back with a grin and Craig finished whatever was left of their shared drink before standing up. He took Tweek's hand making him get up as well.

"That's our cue to leave. Come on, honey."

"Aww!"

"No 'aww's, if I let you drink anything else, you'll actually ask for a foursome."

“That does sound like a great idea!”

“Yep. Time to leave.”

Craig leaned down to put an arm behind Tweek's knees picking him up bridal style. The blond fussed a bit but quickly calmed down and peeked over Craig's shoulder as he was being carried inside, waving at the two teens at the table.

"Good night!"

"Good night, Tweek." Kyle waved back with a smile, he loved drunk Tweek.

David laughed shaking his head and finished his drink, watching how Kyle's smile went from amused to sad. The redhead finished his drink, turning towards David with a sight.

“Hey, Nines.”

“Hey, Seven.” David chuckled, taking his hands over the table. “She sure was friendly, uh? I think she went up with Clyde.”

“Pfft. Please. Oh my God, look at these muscles!” Kyle said that in a mocking voice, rolling his eyes. “They glisten in the sun!”

David laughed and stood up and pulling Kyle with him, guiding him to the middle of the backyard.

“Come with me.” 

"What are you doing?"

"Dance with me."

"Dance with you? To Clyde's music?"

Kyle laughed and David rolled his eyes, going to the forgotten phone. He disconnected Clyde's from the Bluetooth speaker and connected his own, salsa music starting to fill the air.

"Remember what I taught you?" David joined Kyle in the middle of the grass, takings his hands.

"A little...?"

"It's okay, just focus on your feet for now. I want you to move your right leg back, and I will move my left leg forward, okay? Remember you don’t just touch the ground; you have to actually transfer your weight and hold it with the leg you’re moving.” Kyle did as the other instructed, stepping the right foot back and resting his weight on that leg, as David moved his forward. “Okay, nice. Now, a little step in place with you left foot, and bring your right leg back here, transfer your weight again. Nice! Now the other side, move your left leg forward and I’ll move my leg back, okay? Let’s try.”

David maintained his hold on Kyle’s hands to help Kyle maintain his balance as they repeated the movements a couple of times, slowly. Kyle actually managed to almost trip a couple of times but finally he got with the motion and they could speed up, even if just a bit. People tended to think that dancing salsa was about moving your hips a lot but at least Kyle didn’t do that, although he should probably be moving a bit more. He really wasn’t the best at dancing.

“Nice, nice. You’re doing good. Now we’ll add a little turn, okay? You’re ready for that?

“Yeah!”

“Love the enthusiasm! Okay, now when you do the step forward and your weight is on that leg, I want you to turn around to face away from me. Transfer your weight to the other leg and use it to turn. I’m gonna let go of your right hand but I’m gonna assist you with the other, so it’ll be fine. You got it?”

“I got it!”

“Hell yeah!”

They practiced those moves for a while, first slowly with David narrating every step until gradually they good a decent rhythm going. Kyle was trying his best to keep up, laughing away at his own mistakes but becoming more determined with each of them. David couldn’t help but laugh at seeing the redhead try, noticing how his by was moving more and more loose the more they danced. Kyle’s smile was now genuinely happy, he really looked like he was having fun, leaving David satisfied to have achieved what he was trying to do. They turned it up a bit more, the quicker pace making Kyle be more concentrated but unfortunately making him lose his footing and fall on his butt on a turn, making David burst out laughing.

“Oh my God Kyle, you suck.”

“Hey!” Kyle got up rubbing his butt, catching back his breath. "Don't laugh, I'm trying!"

"Sorry, sorry. I know, and you did good. But seriously, you’re really bad at synchronizing with others when dancing."

"Oh, really? Well, I don't hear you complain when I dance for you."

"Oh, by yourself you're awesome." David wrapped Kyle's waist with his arms and pulled him close, the warmth of the redhead's body against his making him smile. "Especially when you're on my lap."

"Is that so." Kyle ran his hands up David's chest and rested his arms on the Mexican's shoulders, leaving a gentle kiss on his lips. “I do enjoy being on your lap…”

"Wanna go up...? We must be the only ones outside of a bed right now."

Kyle chuckled, staying a few extra seconds in that position. He never heard Stan's car coming back so he knew his best friend wasn't in one, but it had been more than two hours for a car ride than didn't take more than 30 minutes, including the way back. He could take a good guess about what he and the girl were doing at the moment but that was something he'd very much rather not think about. He finally looked up, kissing David's cheek.

"I don't mean to be a buzzkill but if that's what you want, you need to take a shower. You smell of sweat and barbeque smoke."

"Mmh... As I recall, _someone_ owes me a shower he had to tell me about. Perhaps you could show me instead...?"

“Oh, you want me to show you…?” Kyle was starting to feel aroused just by thinking about David being inside him, his skilled hands going all over his body. The Mexican was so damn good at it. “And you’re just gonna stand there and watch…?”

“Oh, baby…” David’s lips brushed over Kyle’s, hands going down to grab at the redhead’s plump ass. “I’m gonna do so much more than just watch…”


	11. Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2!
> 
> Okay, so.  
> What I want to show here is how David and Kyle's relationship has changed. The first time they slept together, it wasn't supposed to happen. David took a chance, it worked, and Kyle went along for the ride. Now it's different, they've been together for a while, they're comfortable with each other and they're both on board with this. They like each other and they ARE together, however informal their relationship may be. 
> 
> Also, to give a little deserved treat to David. Shout out to our wonderful, passionate latinos out there.
> 
> \--

Kyle whined and bit his lip, taking David’s hand. He started going inside pulling David along with him, heading upstairs, and straight for the bathroom. David followed without protesting, locking the door behind them and taking his tank top off as soon as it was done. Kyle couldn’t hold back anymore and crashed their lips together, tasting the mix of nicotine and drinks in the other’s mouth. David happily reciprocated the kiss, cutting it off to pull Kyle’s shirt off.

The redhead turned on the water while David took the rest of his clothes off, stepping in.

“Come in here, the water feels good.”

“Need any help scrubbing?”

Kyle finished undressing himself and joined the Mexican that was already rubbing soap all over himself, knowing how Kyle was about contact. The redhead put some soap in his hand and started rubbing David’s back, humming appreciatively.

“You know, you do have nice muscles…”

“You can touch them all you want.”

“Ooh, can I?”

David turned around and pulled Kyle under the stream of warm water, kissing him, letting the water rinse off his body. Kyle’s soapy hands traveled down, happy to feel David was already getting hard. He started rubbing him up and down with a smile and David shivered with a low moan when he felt Kyle jerking him off.

“Can I touch this too…?”

“Uh-huh…”

“I bet you’d let me do other stuff too.” Kyle chuckled and knelt in front of him without stopping his hand. David’s dick now fully awake, Kyle gave the head a lick before gently sucking on it. “What do you think?”

David didn’t answer and Kyle didn’t wait for him to, taking as much of him as he could into his mouth. David groaned and bit his knuckles to avoid doing too much noise as Kyle started bobbing his head, his hand still moving on the part his mouth couldn’t cover, the water falling on the having washed away all soap remaining. Putting his hand on the wall for support, David tried to keep his voice down, his hips trying to get more into Kyle’s mouth. Kyle’s free hand went up to gently massage David’s balls, enjoying the way David was so rapidly losing himself. He could feel David’s eyes on him, watching every movement. He was already hard himself, he loved how turned-on David could make him feel even if he was just receiving and not doing anything himself.

“K-Kyle, Goddamnit…”

“Mmgh…”

Kyle sped up his movements, the hand that was still jerking David off going down to his own neglected dick. Without stopping he took David deeper, going as far as he could as he thrusted his hips into his own hand, desperately needing some contact. David was using both hands for support now, his voice coming out more freely despite his efforts to keep it in. Kyle considered for a moment stopping there but he was feeling far too into it to stop, he was already tasting precum coming out of David and he wanted nothing more in that moment than having him explode in his mouth. 

David gritted his teeth; he didn’t want to come so fast, but Kyle was not making it fucking easy with the hungry way he was sucking at his dick. Kyle went down harder, and David couldn’t hold it anymore when he hit the back of his throat, moaning his name as he climaxed on the redhead’s waiting mouth. Kyle pulled back and spit the load on the tub, watching it go down the drain. David was okay with swallowing, but Kyle never had, and it was something he didn’t plan on doing anytime soon. He stood up and wiped his mouth, smiling when he saw David looking at him with foggy eyes.

“That was fast. You’re not done yet, are you…?”

It took David a few seconds to come down from the cloud he was floating around, slowly focusing on Kyle.

“N-No… Fuck, Kyle… That’s quite the hungry mouth you got…”

The redhead chuckled and turned around, offering his back to the Mexican. He spread his legs a bit, his free hand rubbing over his entrance. 

“That’s not the only part of me hungry for you…”

David bit his lip with a groan; Kyle knew how to get him all fired up. The water was running down Kyle’s back, somehow emphasizing those round butt cheeks. Kyle’s finger probed at his entrance for a second, a little moan escaping is lips when it finally went in. He slowly moved that finger in and out with a satisfied sigh.

“Y-Yeah, right there…” the pleasure was obvious in Kyle’s voice as he teased himself with that finger.

David could feel himself getting hard again, Kyle opening himself up as an offering right in front of him. He quickly got used to that finger and added a second one with a low moan, making a show out of it. David was enjoying it immensely, seeing Kyle so horny and needy pushed all his buttons.

“Is this what you wanted to see…?”

“Fuck yeah, baby, keep going.” 

David started jerking himself off enjoying the show as Kyle’s movements grew faster, thrusting his hips back into his own fingers, low moans filling the bathroom. 

“I need you; I need you so bad…” Kyle’s free hand roamed his own chest playing with a nipple. The little spark of pleasure made him thrust in deeper with his fingers, opening them to stretch himself out, a heavy sigh falling from his lips. A third finger found his way inside, Kyle’s movements growing more restless by the second. “D-David… please…”

Kyle had had enough of being watched, he needed a good fucking and he needed it now. He took his fingers out and shook his ass a bit in a tantalizing manner, trying to tempt David into having his way with him. Not that David needed much tempting. The taller boy groaned and grabbed the redhead’s hips and pulled them back towards himself, his cock rubbing that asshole so willing to receive him. 

He put some soap in his fingers, two of them finding his way inside Kyle. He could feel the redhead’s inner walls twitching with desire as he rocked his fingers back and forth. His other hand squeezed his ass, feeling the same need Kyle was. He took his fingers out and guided himself to Kyle’s opening, prodding a few times, just the tip.

Kyle pushed his hips back with need, his body shivering at the feeling of David’s cook on his entrance. David didn’t make him wait much longer, he rubbed the entrance a couple of times until he finally pushed his way inside, stretching Kyle as far as it would go. Kyle let out a low moan when he finally felt David go inside him, his own hips moving back and forth. David groaned seeing Kyle hop on his dick and fuck himself with need, his hands running up the redhead’s back. 

He grabbed Kyle’s shoulders, his hips shooting forwards with a few hard thrusts. Kyle screamed with each one of them resting his forehead on the wall, his body lighting up with joy, unable to keep his eyes open. David wrapped Kyle’s body with his arms, Kyle’s ass cheeks squashed between their bodies as David mercilessly pounded on his ass making them both moan with pleasure.

“G-God, Kyle…” 

“F-Fuck… y-yes…”

Kyle put his hands flat on the wall, shivering when David pushed him against the cold surface.

“H-How the fuck are you so tight…”

David body was moving on his own, his cock so deliciously squeezed inside Kyle’s asshole that his brain had stopped working. Just like Kyle he just needed more, more of that feeling, more of that mind-numbing pleasure. He thrusted into him with abandon, he wanted to last longer this time, but Kyle felt so damn good. Kyle’s moans made very clear that the redhead was also coming closer to his own release, neither of them caring anymore if they were heard or not. 

“D-David, I’m so close… F-Fuck..:”

“Me too…”

Kyle’s hands slid up the wall as he pushed back on David’s cock, his voice getting higher. He could feel his orgasm coming over him, he just needed a bit more, a bit deeper… David went into him, hard, and touched something in him that made him scream, his vision going white with pleasure as he climaxed all over the wall. David got a few more thrusts in before coming for a second time, as deep inside Kyle as he could go. Their movements slowed down until they stopped, breathing heavily for a moment, Kyle being the first one to say a word.

“Damn…”

“I know.” David laughed weakly, resting his forehead on Kyle’s back. “I know…”

David slowly pulled out, his seed sliding down Kyle’s leg but quickly washed away by the water still falling on them.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine…” Kyle turned around and wrapped his arms around David’s neck, locking him in a kiss. “More than fine…”

“Happy to hear… Ready to head out?”

“Go ahead, I have to… clean up first.”

David chuckled and got out of the shower, drying himself off with a fresh towel as Kyle cleaned himself. He readied another one for Kyle and received him with it when he got out the shower, picking up their discarded clothes on the way out. 

“I don’t think anyone heard us…” David commented as they made their way down the hallway, a cacophony of passion surrounding them.

“And if they did, I doubt anyone cares.”

They arrived at David’s room, closing the door behind them. David embraced Kyle’s body, pulling him close to himself, short kisses exploring his neck.

“God, I can’t get enough of you… I’m glad we finally get to spend a night together, even if it’s the last one…”

“Aw…” Kyle’s hands rubbed David’s arms, leaving a short kiss on his lips. “I’m sorry papi, I hope I made up for the wait.”

“Well… It was a start.”

“A start?”

Kyle raised an eyebrow and David grinned, subtly pushing him towards the bed. 

“A start. You didn’t really think we were done, did you?”

David pulled the towel that was covering the other’s body just as the bed hit the back of Kyle’s knees and the redhead fell on it with a gasp. David knelt down in front of him caressing his legs as if it was the first time he touched them. His lips started on his knees, slowly but surely leaving little bites and kisses on his inner thigh as they traveled that creamy skin. Kyle mewled, massaging David’s shoulders, his body getting warmer again the closer the Mexican got to his crotch. 

“D-David…”

David took his time savoring his skin, eventually finding his center. His tongue ran up Kyle's dick, that was hard again by now, earning a gasped moan. He perched Kyle’s knees on his shoulder to give himself easy access as his tongue went down to his entrance.

Still stretched from what they had done in the shower, it offered no resistance as he wiggled it inside, separating just enough to spread his cheeks before diving down again. Kyle was writhing in pleasure, his hips moving in circles trying to get more of that sensation. His body was demanding something more but he was stubbornly trying to wait out the tongue-fucking, trying to enjoy every second of what David was doing to him. David finally leaned back up again and guided his dick to Kyle's entrance when the redhead stopped him.

"W-Wait!"

"What?"

"Condom."

David looked at him, the redhead looked slightly panting.

"Really? We did it bareback like ten minutes ago."

"When we were in the shower and I could clean up in there. Condom. Please?"

"Fine." David stood up and went to his bag, where he had stashed the condoms. "This will only make me last longer, you know?"

He put one condom on and took the chance to put some lube on himself as well, Kyle smiled at him from the bed.

"Is that supposed to be a bad thing?"

"For your asshole, maybe." Once back in position he pushed inside, putting in just the tip. "You ready?"

"Fuck, yes."

David pushed all the way in seeing Kyle tense up and grab the sheets. He gave a few slow strokes, Kyle quickly relaxed and started moving his hips, urging him to go faster. Soon they had found a new rhythm that made Kyle arch his back, his breathy moans filling the room as David thrusted into him without a second thought.

Kyle's hands grabbed at David's waist, his body melting when the taller boy ran his hands up his chest until he reached his shoulders, grabbing them to pull him harder against his cock. He saw Kyle's hands go up to grab his own hair, so he knew the redhead was close. He slowed his movements making Kyle whine and look at him with pleading eyes.

"D-David, come on..."

"What?" David smirked at him, leaning down to capture his lips.

Kyle wrapped his arms and legs around him, hungrily kissing him back as he tried to rub himself against the Mexican's body, David's hips speeding up again to match Kyle's eagerness. David groaned in his mouth when he felt Kyle scratch his back, he was feeling close himself and he started pounding on his that ass, their groans and moans mixing in the air.

Kyle was so close that his body was getting tighter by the second, making the Mexican see white and David exploded unable to resist it anymore. He kept pumping until Kyle came with a scream, his body going limp from exhaustion.

David rode his orgasm slowly, Kyle's oversensitive body shaking and twitching with every deep stroke. When David finally pulled out he whined a bit at the loss and weakly made his way up the bed, letting his head fall on the pillow. David took the condom out and made a little knot, discarding it in the little trash can that was on the corner of the room. He joined Kyle in the bed, getting both under the covers with a satisfied sigh.

" _Now_ we're done, right Kyle? Kyle?"

When he received no answer, he looked at his companion to see him completely asleep next to him. David laughed to himself, he didn't have that many occasions to do it, but it always made him feel proud when he was able to sex Kyle into a coma. He spooned the redhead's body with a smile, falling asleep himself shortly after.

\----

Stan rang the doorbell but after waiting a couple of minutes nobody came to the door, so he tried the doorknob, which fortunately was unlocked.

"They probably didn't hear it over the music." said Evelyn beside him. 

"Yeah, probably. Can you imagine, we come in now and everyone's murdered?"

"What the- shut up!"

They entered the house that looked deserted, Evelyn unconsciously hiding a bit behind Stan as they made their way outside, but the backyard was empty too, dark and abandoned. Stan turned off the speaker that was still playing salsa and collected the phones he could see so they wouldn't be in the sun if people decided to oversleep. Evelyn watched this from the door, waiting patiently for Stan to come back.

"Where is everybody?"

"Stan, I hear noises coming from upstairs."

"Let's go investigate then."

After Stan left the phones on the kitchen counter they went up the stairs, the various noises coming from the rooms getting louder. By the time they got to the second floor it was obvious what kind of noises those were, and that no one was getting murdered. Evelyn looked down the hallway, eyeing the different rooms, giggles and moans easy to hear coming from at least a couple of them.

"Well, at least we know everyone's alive."

"Yeah..."

Stan went to his room and cautiously opened the door, but the room was empty.

"Everything okay in there?" asked Evelyn peeking from behind him into the room.

"Yeah. Em... Come in. You can sleep here if you want, I don't think my roommate's coming back."

He turned the lights on and plugged his phone, taking his shirt off. Evelyn did the same, they had already seen each other naked so sleeping together in underwear wasn't crossing any new lines.

"Wait!!"

She was about to sit down on the bed, but Stan suddenly stopped her, startling her.

"What? What is it?"

"Uh... Do you mind sleeping on this side? I'm a bit picky about that."

"Oh. Yeah, sure! No problem."

Stan had unconsciously gone to the side of the bed he had been using since they arrived, but when he saw Evelyn was about to sit on Kyle's spot his body just reacted. He'd very much rather falling asleep in Kyle's scent than having someone else lay there and cover it.

"Thanks..."

"You really wanna go to sleep though? It's not that late, and I could use another drink."

"Mmh..." Stan looked at her in thought, it was true he wasn't sleepy although he felt tired. "Sure, we can stay up for a while longer."

\-----

Kyle woke up first and slowly stretched with a little whine, letting his body go limp. He looked at the Mexican asleep next to him and laid on his chest, distractedly playing with the few hairs that were on his chest. David stirred a bit, his eyes fluttering open. He smiled and wrapped his arms around Kyle's body, lazily caressing the exposed skin.

"Buenos días, amor…"

"Morning..." Kyle left a kiss on his chest, resting his chin on it. "Did you sleep well?"

"Better than ever. How about you?"

"Yeeah... I don't wanna get up..."

"Then let's stay here all day. Let's stay forever."

"If only we could... I'm hungry though..." Kyle rolled over, his back flat on the bed. He really didn't want to get up. "Damn, these beds are comfortable."

"They sure are."

"You think we can grab some breakfast? I wonder if people are up already."

"Who knows."

Kyle slowly got up and looked around, realizing now that any clean clothes he had were in his room, not David's.

"I may have a problem..."

"What problem?"

"I don't have any clothes here."

"Keep walking around naked then, I don't see the problem."

"David..."

"Fine, fine. I'll go grab you something. But naked walking shouldn't be off the table so fast. Just saying."

The Mexican got up and put his pajama pants on, slipping into the hallway. He put his ear on Stan's door, he couldn't hear anything. Some voices were coming from downstairs so there was a chance they were up already. He knocked and opened the door a little bit, but he didn't hear any answers or reaction. Peeking inside he saw that the bed was indeed empty, but it looked like it had been used, so Stan and the girl must have spent the night there.

He opened the door fully with a smile, his plan had apparently worked and Stan had now a new girl to worry about so hopefully he wouldn't be a problem for him to spend time with Kyle again.

Locating Kyle's bag, he took the clean clothes he saw, neatly folded, and made his way back to his room. After Kyle got dressed, unfortunately, they decided to go down to the kitchen to grab some breakfast.

Most people were already there but Kenny and Clyde were still missing, along with half the girls. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits, Kyle glanced around the room to find Stan sitting on the kitchen counter with the brunette, munching on some toast while chatting away. He did look happier now, so he hoped whatever they had done had helped make him feel better.

After the remaining people finally appeared and everyone had breakfast, the last ones being Kenny and the two girls he had spent the night with, it was time to say goodbye to the girls.

Most of the girls were already in the car they had used to get there, a couple still inside saying goodbye to Kenny, when Stan walked Evelyn outside, he had to admit that he really enjoyed his time with her. If they had met in another moment of his life things would have gone a lot further for them.

"Well, time for us to leave. It was nice talking to you, Stan."

"Yeah, it was nice talking to you too."

Evelyn hugged him for a few seconds before letting him go with a smile.

"Good luck with your guy. You have my number so keep me posted, okay?"

"Will do."

"You know," she said starting to walk away, "it'd would've been nice to do it at least once. I really didn't mind using the back door."

Stan smiled apologetically at her, waving as she got in the car with her friends. Kenny's girls came out of the house and waved at Stan as they too made their way into the car and the girls finally drove off.

He went into the house where Token was currently trying to get everyone's attention.

"Okay, everybody! Party's over, it's clean-up time! We must clean the house and the backyard, I want every bedsheet and every towel washed, every trash can in the rooms empty. Got it? Go!"

He clapped his hands to mark the end of the instructions and everybody started moving, leaving the house spotless by the time they were done.

\-----

Kyle put his bag in the trunk of Stan’s car and left the guys to do the same, going to say goodbye to David that was putting his in Craig’s car.

“Hey.”

“Hey! You sure you don’t wanna come with us? There is room.” said David pointing at the car as he slammed the trunk shut.

“Yes, I’m sure. I’d feel bad making Craig going out of his way to drop me off if Stan is gonna drive by there anyway.”

“Aw, I’m sure he doesn’t mind.”

“It’s okay.” Kyle got on his tiptoes to kiss him. "I just came to say goodbye.”

“Tsk… Fine. So, the week’s over. I’m sad.” David made a sad face and Kyle chuckled, putting a hand on David’s cheek. 

“I wanted to say thank you, by the way."

"What for?"

"Everything, really. I know this week didn't go as you wanted but you've been so patient and understanding." Kyle kissed him again and rested his head on David's chest, closing his eyes. "You make my life so easy."

"Anything for you." David smiled and ran his hand up and down Kyle's back, enjoying the contented sighs the other made. “And there are ways to pay me back.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s what I did in the shower. And the bedroom. I think we should give my ass a break.”

“That’s not what I- Not everything is about sex, you know?”

“Oh! Sorry. Did you have anything specific in your mind or…?”

“Well… yes.” David slid his hands until they were on Kyle’s shoulders, separating them enough to be able to look at his face. “I… Mmh… We’ve been using whatever moments we can steal and making random plans and it’s been fun! But maybe… it would help to… have an actual plan?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know, like, one day a week we could meet? Like, the same day every week?”

“So… You want us to fuck on schedule? I mean, I’m not saying no…”

“No! I mean… We can do other stuff too. We can go somewhere, maybe get something to eat, have some fun. Then do the fucking part.”

“That’s… a date night, basically.”

“Kind of, yeah.”

“David…” 

Kyle bit his lip, the conversation with Tweek coming to mind, the idea did make him feel a bit uncomfortable. He was torn between enjoying it while he could, as much as he could, and not wanting to be dating David when the school year ended, and he left for college so he could avoid the breakup. What David was asking for was more than something casual, it was dating. Kyle suspected that if they actually dated, some form of “I love you” would eventually pop up and despite how much he enjoyed spending time with him, it wasn’t something he was able to say back. Right now, they liked each other, and they had fun, but dating? That was love territory.

“I know what you’re thinking and I’m not saying we should date. We wouldn’t be boyfriends. But we are still friends, right? That’s the base of being fuck-buddies, we’re buddies! We do hang out with no sex; we can just do both things in the same night. No strings attached, just one night a week that you’re all mine, I get both sides of you.”

“Mmh…”

“Come on, I think I earned it~”

“…Fine, one night a week, I’m yours. Friday night? That’ll leave me the weekend for school shit.”

“YES!” 

David smiled brightly and grabbed Kyle’s face, smashing their lips together.

"Everybody got everything?" Asked Stan as they got in his car, ready to go back home.

Cartman and Kenny were already on the backseat with seatbelts on and Stan was just closing the trunk and getting on the driver seat. They were now just waiting for Kyle, that was being passionately kissed goodbye by David, the Mexican taking full advantage of 'Everybody here knows so what's the problem' license he had been enjoying the whole trip. Kyle finally pulled away and waved at him, jogging his way to Stan's car.

With everyone finally ready and buckled up, they started the way back.

“David sure seemed happy.” Said Kenny watching the other get on their cars as the drove off. “I thought he’d be sadder now that the week’s over.”

“He is,” answered Kyle still a bit unsure about what they had just talked about “but we made a deal of sorts.”

“A deal? What deal? Is it kinky?”

“What? No! Kenny… No, not at all. He wants to have… like… something a bit more… settled? I don’t know how to explain it.”

“So you guys dating now? For real?”

“No, no. Nothing like that. We agreed to see each other every Friday instead of randomly meeting. Hang out somewhere, do normal stuff. Anyway, how was your birthday?” Kyle turned his head to look at Kenny with a smile, who was sitting behind Stan. “You must be exhausted.”

“It was freaking awesome, dude.” The blond laid back in his seat with a toothy grin, the obvious happiness on his face making Kyle laugh. “Some guys may be intimidated in situations like that, but I totally pulled it off.”

“Yeah, they looked pretty happy.” Stan shook his head with a smile, blending into the highway.

“Oh, they were. Best night of my life. Scratch that, best week. I’ll never forget this birthday, I fucking swear. Plus, everybody got laid! Who could ask for more?”

“Not everybody. At least not Evelyn and I.” Noted Stan with a shrug. “But by the sounds in the house when we arrived, everyone else did good.”

“Wait, WHAT?” Kenny frowned, leaning forward and grabbing Stan’s seat. Kyle glanced at him but said nothing. “I thought I got a strike! What happened, you and that girl looked so comfy and shit. You were barely apart from each other.”

“Yeah, she’s pretty cool. We talked a lot, got each other’s numbers and all. But nothing else. I… I wasn’t really feeling up to it.”

“Talk? Dude! You were supposed to get a hook up, not another girlfriend.”

“Always the romantic…” mumbled Kyle, not sure about what he was hearing. “You guys want to take it slow, then. I’m glad she agreed with that.”

“It’s not like that, there is nothing romantic going on. There is nothing going on, period.” Stan glanced at Kyle, locking eyes with him for a second before turning back to the road. Kyle felt a weight on his chest, he felt like Stan wanted to say something, to tell him something, but wasn’t sure what. But he felt like Stan wanted to make sure that Kyle _knew_. “But just because I wasn’t interested, it doesn’t mean the weekend wasn’t a success.”

“As long as you’re happy, man.” Kenny patted his shoulder, laying back on his seat. “At least everyone else did get some.”

“Well, Cartman sure did.” Stan glanced at him through the rearview mirror. “Who knows how you pulled that off.”

“Hey!” Cartman frowned for a moment but quickly dismissed it. “Nah, I don’t feel like being offended right now.”

“ _You_ don’t feel like being offended. WOW.” Kyle turned a bit more in his seat, looking at Cartman. “Maybe now that you got some action you can stop being such a pain in the ass.”

Cartman glared at him but barely twitched his nose as a reaction.

“I do believe you feel pain in your ass, but I can safely say that it doesn’t come from me. Not my fault you’re a slut who likes to get stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey with Mexican meat.”

“What the fuck did you just call me?” Kyle frowned and glared back at him.

“What, like there is any doubt about who’s catching and who’s pitching there.”

“So?”

“So, you’re a slut.”

After a couple of seconds of silence, Kyle quickly unbuckled himself so he could reach the brunette and started to repeatedly hit him in the arm with his knuckles with Cartman screaming out in pain and trying to push him out. 

“DON’T YOU FUCKING CALL ME THAT!”

Stan jumped startled with the sudden movement, the car swayed for a second, but he quickly took control, shouting at the two to cut it out. Kenny did his best to separate a very angry Kyle from Cartman, the redhead finally sitting back down and putting the seatbelt on again with a huff. Cartman massaged his arm whining about how much it hurt.

“Don’t. Do that. Again.” Stan gripped the wheel, his heart still beating rapidly. 

“He started it!” complained Cartman resisting the urge to kick the seat in front of him where Kyle was sitting.

“I don’t give a shit about who started, you fucking scared me and I’m driving! Both of you did something wrong, so both of you stay quiet and behave for the rest of the trip. Is that clear?” Neither of them answered to Stan, making him repeat himself. “ _Is that clear?”_

“Yeah…”

“Damn, Stan.” Kenny smiled, calming down now that the moment was over. “You tell ‘em, daddy.”

“Shut up…”

They talked very little after that, since both Kyle and Cartman seemed to tense up when hearing the other one’s voice, being mostly Stan and Kenny who casually chatted and only occasionally asked for an input from the other two. By the time they made it back to South Park they seemed to have cooled down, so Stan felt more relaxed. He went to the furthest part first and dropped off Kenny before heading to the street where Kyle and Cartman lived and he visited every day when picking them up for school. Cartman was the first one dropped off, he grabbed his bag and flipped Kyle off as he went up his driveway. Stan drove again a little way up the street, stopping in front of Kyle’s house.

Kyle got off the car and opened the trunk to retrieve his bag just like the other two had done, but this time Stan got down as well.

"Well... Here we are. Week's over."

"I know, right. Tomorrow we gotta go back to school." said Kyle with a frustrated sigh. "Holidays are always so short."

"Yeah... I'm gonna miss you."

"Miss me? What are you talking about? We're going to see each other every day." Kyle frowned and tilted his head. Stan was looking down, softly kicking one of his tires. "I do expect you to pick me up tomorrow."

"I know but we don't really get to hang out like we used to. I'm not blaming you or anything, I understand that you're busy. You've got the extra classes, and basketball, and... David... I get it, really. But I still miss you."

"Stan... "

The black-haired boy looked up and following an impulse hugged Kyle, making him drop his bag. Kyle looked surprised for a second but didn't hesitate to hug him back, pressing him tightly against his body.

"I'm sorry I'm so needy these days..."

"Don't apologize for that. You know I'm here for you dude, if you ever need anything you just have to call." Kyle ran his hand up and down Stan's back trying to comfort him. "Remember what you told me a little while ago? Right here, in your car? You said that I was like brother to you. Well, it's the same here. You're like a brother to me, and I'll be here if you need me. Always. Okay?"

Stan nodded and slowly let him go, resisting the urge to kiss him, and Kyle picked up his bag from the ground. He squeezed Stan's arms one last time and made his way up to the house, ringing the bell and waving at him while waiting for the door to open. Stan got in the car and waved back, waiting for Kyle to be completely out of sight before taking off.

He knew he had a problem, a big one. Discovering Kyle's sexual side (especially the fact that he did have one) had changed his views on him, for sure, but that wasn't it. He started feeling jealous of David way before knowing they were having sex. It had taken him a bit, and a lot of talking with Evelyn, but he knew now that all those feelings he had for Kyle weren't due to confusion, and definitely weren't new.

The only thing that scared him was that he had never been physical with a guy before, he didn’t know if he was bisexual for real or, if he ever found himself in that situation, he would realize he couldn’t actually do that kind of thing with a man. Was he really into guys or was he just into Kyle? How far could those feelings actually take him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, my plan was for Stan and Evelyn to do it, even if it was to use 'the back door'. But the comments were so unified-ly 'HE BETTER NOT HAVE' that I decided against it and made a few changes. I like it better this way, I think. So I'm happy with that :)
> 
> Aaand that's all I wrote for this story while my laptop was broken. Hope you liked it!


	12. Meltdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been coming for a while, and here it is.  
> From the title of the chapter, you can guess what's up.
> 
> -

Weeks went by and everyone got into their own routine. Kenny was fairly free during the week, mostly hanging out with Stan or Craig, occasionally saving Butters from Cartman, who was learning that it was better to mess with Butters on the weekends when Kenny was at work.

Kyle was busier than ever; basketball and extra classes took all his time during the week. Then Friday arrived, the one night a week he had promised David, then he tried to cram all the schoolwork on the weekends.

Stan... Stan had more free time. He had too much free time and spent a lot of it alone with his thoughts. He wasn't dealing well with that, at all. It had started with a drink at night; besides the quick shot he did in the mornings. Then it was two drinks. Then three, then four. He started skipping dinner to help the alcohol have a greater effect and get to his head sooner. Before he realized it, that was his new routine. Sometimes he thought, what if he just fell over? Just let himself stumble off the roof. Would he die? Would that be so bad? His life was certainly going nowhere, it felt more like a waste than anything else at this point. He knew he wasn't happy, days felt like a constant struggle, a daily fight to just 'look normal'. Then he wondered if that would hurt people. His mom. Kyle. Kenny, Wendy. They would hurt. They would be in pain if he died. He felt a crushing weight on his chest in those moments but a recurring thought came to his mind. _I can't do that to them._ So he sighed and tried to stay away from those thoughts. 

When he arrived at the farm he would step outside his window and drink, busing his hands with cigarettes and his phone, watching videos, or playing games. He was doing his best not to spend money on them since his problem with addictions included gambling, although he still allowed himself a little purchase every now and then for coins, lives, or resources of some kind. Then he would drag himself to bed, passing out instead of falling asleep more often than not.

Stan was now sitting in his last class of the day, barely paying attention. He was trying to be his usual self and act as normally as he could, hanging out with Kenny or going to his club activities, the board games were great at distracting him. Cartman had even let him be Game Master a couple of times. He had to admit that since they came back from the trip, the brunette was being unusually kind to him. He never said a word but somehow it felt like Cartman knew what he was going through and was silently giving support.

He still hadn't figured out if he would be able to have sex with a guy, it was honestly hard to imagine. He had tried, of course. Those nights he was sober enough he had tried to imagine himself with someone, some young, hot actor or someone in town he thought was cute. But it hadn't really worked, as soon as he started to feel turned on his mind wandered to Kyle, again and again.

Finally, he decided to seek advice, and if there was someone close to him that could help with that kind of dilemma it was obvious who it was. He nudged Kenny on the side, knowing the blonde wasn't learning much either.

"Hey, Ken. Are you free today?"

"I'm going to the mall with Cartman, wanna join?"

"Can we go somewhere else? I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Eh... Sure, any ideas?"

"I got some weed from my dad, wanna go smoke behind the school?"

"Hell yeah, give me a minute."

Kenny tore a piece of paper from his notebook and wrote something on it before throwing it to Cartman, who always sat on the last row for that class so he could either read or be on his phone. After the paper came back, Kenny quickly read it and gave him a thumbs up.

"Get him a couple of tacos and he's okay with the change of plans. I wanna get something too."

"Sure, we'll grab something and head there."

So, after the last class the three of them got on Stan's car and stopped at Taco Bell before heading to the patch of trees behind the school that Kenny and Craig usually used to get blazed. It was a good while after they got settled and Kenny lit up their second joint, Cartman snacking away while the other two smoked that Kenny brought it up.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Mmh..." Cartman was there so he couldn't be as open about it as he wanted, so Stan thought about the best way to get the point across to Kenny. He decided on a casual approach. "Did you guys ever think about hooking up with another dude?"

Kenny coughed, the question having caught him mid-drag, and Cartman patted him on the back raising an eyebrow towards Stan.

"The fuck?"

"I'm just saying, this whole thing with Kyle got me thinking. I knew nothing about it, it could've been any of us to keep this secret. Did you ever have these kinds of thoughts?"

"No."

"Not really?" Kenny's voice came out a bit strangled, he took a couple of big gulps of his coke and a deep breath before speaking again. "Why, are you having them?"

"No! I just... I don't know. I was curious about who else might be... You know, keeping secrets. I figured if anyone could ever swing that way it would be Kenny."

Cartman laughed and Kenny rubbed his chin, not really bothered by it.

"I think I'm too crazy about boobs but it's not completely out of the question. Yeah, I could probably do it."

"Seriously?"

"Sure dude, why not." Kenny shrugged his shoulders, joint back on his lips. "If I'm drunk and horny enough I can see myself doing that."

"How can you say that so easily? Can you really see yourself doing that, no hesitation?"

"Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it, right?"

"I guess..."

"What about you?" Kenny handed him the joint, happy that Stan was starting to be vocal about this. He needed to make his friend see that it was okay. At this point Cartman was silently watching the conversation, interested in seeing what kind of conclusion Stan came to.

"I don't know, I've never thought about it... It's hard to imagine."

"It's not that hard, come on. Look at me, what do you think? Am I attractive?"

"Yeah, you're pretty fit. I guess."

"What about my face? Handsome, right? You can tell that?"

"I guess?"

"No guesses, yes or no?"

"Kenny, stop. You're hot and you know it, what's the point of this? You don't need to be gay or bi or whatever to see if someone is attractive."

"Okay, fair enough. C'mere."

Kenny leaned over and gave Stan a kiss, pulling back to see his face, that was mostly shock.

"Well?"

"...Well, what?"

"Okay, again."

Stan tried to lean back but Kenny didn't give him the option when he basically got on top of him. Stan's back hit the ground, trapped between Kenny's arms. The blond kissed him again, this time more slowly, making him feel it. Stan grabbed Kenny's shoulders to push him away but not putting any real strength. Kenny's hand was creeping up beneath his jacket, making him feel weak. When he felt Kenny's tongue playing with his, he unconsciously moaned and that made him snap out of it.

"Kenny, stop! That's enough!"

"Yeah, I think that's enough." Kenny sat back and grabbed the forgotten joint, bringing it to his lips. "You get it now?"

Stan didn't answer, slowly sitting back up and putting himself together.

"Well, that was entertaining to watch."

The voice wasn't Cartman's, it was Craig's, that was standing nearby, probably coming to their smoking place to indulge a bit. Stan's face lit up, he felt like he could die of embarrassment at that moment. He got up as quick as he could, gathering his things.

"I-I think I'm gonna go."

"Me too then, you're my ride." Cartman got up and started picking whatever snacks he had left but Stan was already bolting out of the place. "Hey, wait up!"

Craig watched them leave with a questioning look on his face, sitting down next to Kenny.

"Waddap, McCormick. You into dudes now? You got bored of girls and wanna change teams or what?"

"Nah, just helping out a friend. Seriously, what don't I do for those two."

"Did that friend leave you any weed, by any chance?"

"Yep."

"Nice."

Back in the car, the ride was mostly silent. Cartman tried to get something out of him by saying 'Crazy, uh?' or 'Didn't think I was gonna see that when I woke up this morning', but Stan wasn't biting. They had almost arrived when Cartman openly asked.

"Dude, you okay?"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"I mean, what just happened was..."

"In fact, let's never talk about it. Ever. And I mean, EVER."

"Okay, okay. Good for me."

Stan stopped the car and Cartman got off with a 'See you tomorrow' that got only a grunted 'Yeah' in response, and Stan took off, his mouth itching for a drink and the taste of Kenny's still on his lips. He had found out 2 things that afternoon.

One, that Kenny was a good kisser and his reputation among the girls was well-deserved. Two, that yes, he was into dudes.

\----

Stan put the brown bag on the floor of the passenger seat hearing the clinking of glass, and started the car, driving out of the liquor store parking lot. Dave, the guy running the counter was a regular client of his father so they had made a deal. Stan got a fake ID just in case Dave needed to cover his ass, and Stan also brought him a little baggie with ‘free samples’ of his father’s weed every time he visited. In exchange, he let Stan buy all the alcohol he wanted, whenever he wanted. Which was increasingly often. Living in the farm far away from everything created both, access to weed and need for alcohol, so it was quite a convenient deal.

He did his best to forget the kiss Kenny gave him, it made him feel weird that he slightly got off on it. But it did help him make sense of his feelings a bit more. He still thought about Kyle constantly, and he found himself constantly drawn to the redhead and his smile. It looked kinda tired, lately. Seeing him with David all the time created a bitter feeling in his chest. Halfway on his way out of town, he recognized two figures walking down the street, confirming who they were as they passed under a street lamp. He pulled over, stopping next to them.

“Hey guys! Need a ride?” Ike Broflovski and Karen McCormick looked up at him in surprise. “Come on, I’ve got candy~”

Ike narrowed his eyes at him understanding the joke, but Karen’s face innocently lit up when hearing the word.

“You’ve got candy?”

“Oh, shit. Not really. Em… I think I have some TicTacs in the glove compartment? Just get in, it’s late. I’ll drive you home.”

“Okay, thank you!”

Ike seemed a bit hesitant but Karen took his hand and pulled him towards the car, both of them climbing in the back seat.

“What are you guys doing out so late? … Together?”

“Karen had a school project with a friend, I was just helping them out.” Explained Ike. “It was kind of late so I though it’d be better if I walked her home.”

“How come? Is it because you’re super smart?” asked Stan glancing at him through the rear view window with a teasing smile.

“It’s about Canada!” Karen said cheerfully. “Did you know that Ike is a knight over there? So cool!”

“I do, Kyle told me all about it when it happened. Something about rescuing the country’s princess?”

“Yes, that’s a knight! Now, I don’t mean to be rude, but those Tic Tacs…? I was under the impression that there were some?”

Stan laughed and reached into the glove compartment, handing the box to Karen.

“Here, you can keep it.”

“Thank you, Stan!”

They arrived at the McCormick residence, to call it something, and Karen got out wishing Stan a good night. Ike got out and walked her to the door. Stan looked at them, noticing the little squeeze Karen gave to Ike’s hand before going in. Ike went back to get car and got into the passenger seat, carefully pushing aside the bag of bottles.

“Damn, you having a party?” 

“Perhaps.” Stan drove off heading to Kyle’s. “So, Karen McCormick, uh?”

“What? What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing! Nothing. I’m just saying. She’s really pretty.”

“Stan, she’s 14. That’s creepy.”

“Not for me. But you’re 13. Since you skipped a year, you’re actually in her class and everything. I get it.”

“You get what? There is nothing to get.” Ike crossed his arms, looking at the lights passing by outside the window.

“Come on.” Said Stan as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I’ve seen that face before.” 

“What face?”

“That face you made when you were looking at her. Are you guys a thing?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You two were literally holding hands when I spotted you.” 

Stan smiled and Ike glared at him for a moment before looking out the window again, not answering.

“Come on,” Stan pressed on, amused with the situation. “I told you, that face is unmistakable. How long has it been going on? Does Kenny know? I guess not or he would totally kick your ass.”

Ike finally decided to face Stan, an angry and anxious look on his face.

“No, he doesn’t know. Don’t you dare tell him!”

“Relax, little dude. I won’t.”

“Don’t call me ‘little dude’!”

“Why not? Your brother is my dude, you’re his little brother, so you’re my little dude.”

“Whatever… Just don’t tell Kenny about this.”

“I won’t, I won’t. Promise. This will be… our little secret.” Stan smiled, winking at him. “Now come on, spill the beans.”

“Fine… Well, we’ve grown closer over the years, mostly because of your group. Remember those BBQs that your parents used to host at the farm?”

“Yeah. My father wanted an excuse to invite his drinking pals but my mom wouldn’t let him, so he’d use me as an excuse and invite my friends over with the families. I remember that time you and Karen were playing in the weed plants. God, your mother freaked out so much. So loud.”

“Yeah.” Ike laughed, the whole episode replaying in his mind. “She was… scandalized.” 

“I remember. Your brother was pretty upset too. He was worried about you being around drugs or something.”

“Yeeeah… He takes after mom. A lot.”

“He can be quite intense, I’ll give you that.” They arrived at the house and Stan pulled over. “Strong opinions, not afraid to act on them…”

“You tell me, he got Canada nuked once. He really, really takes after mom…”

“Yeah…” Stan looked up at Kyle’s windows, the same one he had peeked through weeks ago to see him dancing and making out with David, completely giving himself to him. He could see the bluish glow from the computer shining behind the curtains, so Kyle was probably still awake, probably working on something for school. He could picture him, concentrated and hunched over the keyboard, his mind spilling through his fingers. “Never afraid to fight for what he believes in…”

A couple of seconds went by, Ike slowly smiling. 

“Oh. I get it now.”

Stan’s eyes snapped from Kyle’s window back to Ike’s smug face.

“You get what?”

“The face you were talking about. You’re right, it’s unmistakable.”

“What the…? You're imagining things.”

“No, no. It’s okay, I get it.”

“There is nothing to get.”

“Relax, Stan. It’ll be… our little secret.”

Ike winked at him and got out, shutting the car door and headed towards his house as Stan followed him with his eyes, jaw dropped.

“That little…”

\-----

Nothing happened in the next few days, so Stan guessed Ike had said nothing about it. Stan had just dropped Kenny at work and was already driving off when he saw David leaving the restaurant in the rearview window, his shift now over that Kenny was there to replace him. He knew where David was going, it was Friday so he obviously had plans with Kyle. Stan was happy that Kyle wasn’t lying about that anymore, he didn’t want any secrets between them. But the problem with making Kyle promise to be completely honest is that Kyle now was completely honest.

No more ‘helping with Spanish essays’ or ‘I’m busy studying’, he now told Stan the truth, if he was tired because David kept him up or if he didn’t hang out because he was ‘too sore to even move’, he would just say so.

He asked for this, and he knew it, but Stan hadn’t quite realized what ‘this’ would entail. Those little comments were slowly getting to him and it was each time more difficult trying not to picture the scene every time Kyle mentioned the Mexican. Stan tapped his fingers on the wheel, wondering what to do. He didn’t want to go back to that fucking farm, the only think he would do there was drink and jerk off. With Kenny at work and Kyle on a date, even if the redhead insisted that they weren’t dates to Stan they were, he turned the car heading to Cartman’s. The sun was setting so he figured the brunette would be home and they could hang out for at least a couple of hours, that should help him distract himself from imagining what Kyle may be doing.

He parked in front of the house, being careful that he wasn’t blocking the driveway in case Cartman’s mum needed to go somewhere, and rang the doorbell trying to peek through the window. He saw Liane get up from the couch and open the door.

“Good night, Stan. Are you looking for Eric?”

“Yes, please.”

“I’m sorry, he’s not here.”

“He’s not?”

“Only me watching TV tonight. But you can try calling him, maybe he’ll pick up if it’s you.”

“Oh… Okay, sorry for bothering you.”

“You didn’t, don’t worry.”

She waved at him with a smile and closed the door. Stan went back to the car with an exasperated sigh, taking the phone out of his pocket to call him.

" _Yeah?_ "

“Cartman, where are you?”

" _Not home, why?_ ”

“I know you’re not home, I’m at your home and you’re not here. Where are you?”

“ _None of your business, what do you want?_ ”

“Well, nothing. I just wanted to hang out, I guess.”

“ _Can’t tonight. Have you tried Kenny or Kyle?_ ”

“Kenny’s working and Kyle is… busy. It’s Friday.”

“ _Oh, you mean he’s getting his dose of vitamin D, uh._ ”

“……Dude, not funny.”

“ _Fuck you, I’m hilarious. And it was funny. Vitamin D, you know, because D stands for David but also for dic—_ ”

“I GOT IT, SHUT UP!”

“ _Okay, okay, damn. No need to shout._ ” Stan heard someone on the background on Cartman’s side recognizing the voice, only confirming it when he heard Cartman say ‘It’s Stan’ as if the other knew him.

“Is that Butters?”

“ _Maybe._ ”

“Where are you guys?”

“ _Gone for the night. Play videogames or something, I’ll be back tomorrow if you still wanna hang out._ "

With that Cartman hang up, leaving Stan leaning against the hood of his car. What was he going to do now? He still didn’t want to go back home. He got in the car and drove aimlessly around for a bit, enjoying whatever music came out on the radio. Sometimes he wished he had pursued a career in music, but those days were long gone. He had an old acoustic guitar that he still played sometimes, but that was it. He was driving past the lake when he suddenly stopped the car, looking at it for a couple of seconds before he put the car in reverse and parked.

He took one of the bottles of scotch that were in his trunk and headed towards the rock he always went to with Kyle, perfectly flat and right on the shore, on the far side of the lake, the vegetation around offering some privacy. He loved this spot. 

He unscrewed the cap and brought the bottle to his lips, silently watching the lake. The surface of the water was completely calm and Stan could see reflected on it how the moon was starting to peek from behind the mountains that surrounded the town. He closed his eyes trying to leave his mind blank when his phone vibrated. He checked the screen and tapped on the notification when he saw it was from David’s Instagram. 

Apparently, they had gone to the arcade. Stan clicked his tongue, taking another swig from the bottle. Classy guy.

He saw there were more than one and scrolled down, seeing photos of them playing the games or sharing nachos. There was even a short video of Kyle trying the DDR machine. He never wanted to when they went together, he always said he preferred watching Stan do it. He kept scrolling down, Craig and Tweek started appearing, there were several photos of the four of them coming from the others’ accounts too. Stan couldn’t tell if they had run into them by accident or agreed to meet there. 

The bottle went up to his lips again. He groaned when he saw the ‘double date lol’ comment in one of Craig’s photos. Weren’t they trying to keep the relationship a secret? Because they weren’t being exactly subtle at the moment. 

He moved so he was sitting cross-legged on the rock, setting the phone on his legs so he could smoke without letting go of the bottle. He kept scrolling down, seeing a couple of photos from Wendy. He still missed her sometimes. He missed being intimate with someone. It didn’t look like she had been with anyone since Spring Break and the idea of reaching out crossed his mind but he didn’t like the odds of that ending well. They were either gonna have ‘The Talk’ or they were gonna fight. He had meant what he had told Kyle, he didn’t want go back to her. He wanted Kyle. 

It was a chilly night, but Stan didn’t feel it. The alcohol was giving him a false sense of warmth, the stars lulling him into a superficial peace, the sounds of the night his only company. 

Enough time had passed, he wasn’t confused anymore. The feelings hadn’t gone away, they just had gotten worse. He wanted Kyle. He loved Kyle. But the redhead was already with someone. In a few months, they would go to college and Kyle would get away from him for good. Was it too late? It didn’t look like they were going to stop being together anytime soon. His head started spinning and he glanced at the bottle, seeing about half of it was gone. Had he drunk that fast? How much time had passed? The moon was up now.

He scrolled up and refreshed. They hadn’t posted new photos in a while. Tweek and Craig had, and they seemed to be alone now. Where were Kyle and David? His mind immediately started imagining them heavily making out in some dark corner, David’s hand roaming freely all over Kyle’s body. He wanted to do that so badly. It was getting a bit obsessive; he was constantly imagining himself getting busy with Kyle. Sometimes it was something more innocent, like kissing or rutting against his ass the days he wore those tight jeans he had. Other days he was bending him down over the teacher’s desk or spreading his legs, pushed up against the lockers, thrusting into him as deep as he could go. Stan laid completely down, watching the stars as he brought a cigarette to his lips.

Yes, he couldn’t deny it anymore nor could he blame it on shock or confusion. He was sexually attracted to Kyle. And every time he saw them, he felt… he felt jealous. He wanted to hold Kyle, and kiss him, and be close to him in ways they never had before. He never thought he would ever be in that situation. He never thought that Kyle would turn out to be gay and make him discover he had all these feelings trapped inside for the redhead. Stan had always imagined them as adults leaving close to each other, dropping the kids at school while complaining about their wives, their families getting together for Christmas and Thanksgiving. 

Now, though… Now when he thought about their future, Stan saw himself waking up next to Kyle, having breakfast in bed, cooking together, chilling on the couch on the weekends, greeting him with a kiss when he got home. But Kyle was indeed taken. He had said it was only physical but they sure acted like a couple. Ever since they came back from the lake house it felt like David was trying to claim every bit of Kyle’s free time for himself. And Kyle had been more than glad to give to it him. He was so sick of it.

He heard someone walking towards the lake but he ignored the voices, they sounded so far in his whiskey-soaked brain. He closed his eyes, he was starting to feel like he was on a boat rocked by an angry sea, but took another swig from the bottle, letting the world spin around him. The voices got closer, and he made the mistake to look up. And he saw them, walking down the path that led to where he was, holding hands and laughing as if nothing was wrong with the world. He sat up, putting his hands down on the rock to help stabilize the world a bit. They had almost reached him when Kyle finally looked forward and noticed him.

“Stan?”

“Really, Kyle? You’re bringing him to _our_ spot?” his words sounded slurred and angry.

The couple were too surprised seeing Stan there alone in such a state to move or even talk. Stan wasn’t though. He tried to get up but stumbled, falling on his knees. Kyle gasped and launched forward to support him and prevent him from falling completely, kneeling down beside him.

“Stan! What are you doing here like this…?” 

“Stay away from me!” Stan tried to push him away, his poor coordination not really letting him do it. “How dare you!”

“It’s okay, Stan.” Kyle tried talking in a calming voice, not touching him but staying close. “You’re drunk, you need to calm down. We’ll take care of you, alright?”

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s what you wanna do right now.” He glanced at David who was cautiously staying away, not saying a word. Stan was visibly mad and his voice dripped with sarcasm; David knew the other boy didn’t like him too much and he didn’t want to make it worse. “I don’t want to ruin your fun.”

“Stan…”

Kyle looked up at David without knowing what to do, the taller boy sighed and approached them, gently trying to grab Stan’s arm to help him up.

“Come on, man. Let us take you home.”

“Don’t you fucking touch me, you faggot!” those words were spat with such venom, Kyle gasped and stepped back looking at David with worry, but the Mexican looked more surprised than offended. Kyle took his hand and squeezed to get the boy’s attention.

“David… You think you could give us a moment?” 

“Sure… I’ll wait for you by the sign, okay? Call me if you need help.”

Kyle nodded and David gave him a quick kiss, hearing Stan actually growl at him, and walked away leaving the two alone. Kyle looked at the sloppy mess that was his best friend, currently focusing on his bottle again.

“Stan, what the fuck was that…?”

“What, isn’t he?” Kyle frowned at that, kneeling to his level again.

“Am I one too, Stan? I dare you. I fucking _dare you_ to say that to me.”

Stan wobbled a bit and looked at Kyle’s eyes, the redhead could see the word trapped in his mouth, but Stan didn’t say it.

“You know what, fuck you. Fuck you, Kyle.”

“Stan... You’re too upset right now, let us take you home.”

“No. Leave me the fuck alone. Go… go suck his dick or something.”

“Dude, that’s enough. You’re being an asshole.” Kyle got up again and tried to make Stan get up a bit more forcefully but the other just pushed him away again.

“Stop it! Just let. Me. BE! Fuck off!”

“Fine, Stan. Fine. Have it your way.” Kyle finally gave up knowing how impossible Stan was when he got like this. He rubbed his face with his hands and started walking away, looking for his phone. Stan panicked a bit when he actually saw him leaving.

“Wait, don’t go! Kyle, I love you!”

Those words made Kyle stop, as they always did. It was not the first time Stan did that when getting drunk. He turned around again going towards him.

“Come on, let’s go. David’s waiting.” This proved to be a wrong choice of words making Stan furious again, flipping Kyle off.

“Because that’s what matters to you, isn’t it! Go ride his Mexican cock, you slut.”

Kyle froze, the word feeling like a little stab in his chest, especially coming from Stan. He didn’t even bother to reply and just turned around to leave again, a few tears forming in his eyes. Stan panicked again when he realized Kyle was leaving for real and he would be alone with his thoughts once more.

“Wait!” but Kyle didn’t turn around this time, ignoring his voice and disappearing down the path. “Wait… I love you…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want to post this for Christmas because it's not exactly happy, so here it is, one day later. You gotta hit rock bottom before you can go up.
> 
> I'll try to speed things up a bit from this point on.


	13. Apologies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I came across this drawing the other day, and it really reminded me of this Stan:
> 
> https://www.pinterest.de/pin/688839705478562969/
> 
> Anyway... Happy New Year!
> 
> -

Stan woke up with a horrible headache, groaning and rolling in the bed, his mouth felt dry and rough. He tried to keep sleeping but the pain was too much to even try. Stan sat up on the bed, rubbing his face before groggily looking around. He gasped with a scare when he realized he wasn’t in his room, but as he looked around he slowly calmed down recognizing his surroundings. The ragged bedsheets, broken furniture, naked girls on the wall.

He was in Kenny’s room.

He looked around trying to focus, his eyes falling on the nightstand. On it, there was a glass of water, a painkiller, and a piece of paper with the word ‘Backyard’ written on it in Kenny’s handwriting. He quickly took the pill, gulping it down with the entire glass. He got up and made his way to the back of the house, his limbs heavy and sore. The house was fortunately empty and silent, Kenny’s parents probably sleeping even though the sun was already up.

He located the blond sitting with his back against the house, smoking calmly with a book on his lap. Stan laid down on the grass next to him, hoping the pill would kick in soon, covering his eyes with his arm to protect himself from the sun. Kenny gave him some time until he guessed the pain had started to subside.

”Ready to talk yet?”

“Yeah… What happened?”

“You tell me. Had fun last night, asshole?”

Stan pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to remember something, anything, about the previous night.

“Why did I wake up in your bed?”

“Kyle called me last night, asked to come pick you up. I found you passed out on a rock over at the Pond. What do you remember, exactly?”

Some bits and pieces were starting to come back to him. He remembered going to the lake and drinking his sorrows away. He remembered being on his phone, seeing the photos of Kyle and David’s ‘date’. He remembered feeling lonely, wondering if Kyle was in David’s arms at that moment, he remembered the sadness, the anger, the jealousy. He remembered drinking a lot, even for him. Did something happen?

“…Not much. Kyle called you? How did he know?”

“They went to the lake and ran into you.”

“They… You mean he and David.”

“Yes. Do you remember anything you said to them? You got a bit nasty.”

“Did I…?”

“Yep. You got all angry and… well, I don’t have all the details, Kyle was too upset. Apparently, you started screaming at them, calling them faggots and shit. Told them to go away. So Kyle called me and they waited around until I arrived to make sure you didn’t think of driving or fell into the Pond or something.”

“I DID WHAT?!” Stan sat up too fast and felt a piercing pain in his head, making him wince. He definitely didn’t remember that part. He could believe it, he knew he wasn’t in a good place and that could make him lash out. But then… that meant he had really fucked up this time. He actually hurt Kyle. He checked his phone to see if the redhead had reached out but it was out of battery. “Hey, do you have a charger? I need to talk to Kyle or… see if he said anything or… I don’t know… At the very least apologize.”

“No, sorry. I keep it at work on the weekends so my brother doesn’t take it.” Kenny lit up another cigarette, finally looking at his friend, feeling a rush of sadness when he saw the fear and alarm in his bloodshot eyes. “Hey, dude… Last night…”

“I-I know, I need to fix this…”

“That’s not what I wanted to say. Listen, I… I thought that if you figured some shit out you would get better, but you seem to be getting worse. What is going on, man…?

Stan fell silent, he knew what Kenny was talking about. Probably the same reason why he had kissed him, to help him realize something about himself he should’ve known years ago. That perceptive bastard, he had been dropping hints this whole time. But he didn’t know what Kenny expected him to do. He didn’t hate David or anything, he really didn’t. He knew David was a good guy. Strong and reliable, hard-working. He knew that he could make Kyle very happy. That’s what he hated. That he was good to Kyle. He was good _for_ Kyle. Stan knew he should be happy for his best friend, happy that he found someone like that but… he hated it, he hated it to Hell and back. It should be him. He didn’t want to ruin such a good thing for Kyle but he couldn’t help the feeling that Kyle was his destiny, that the redhead being with David, or with anyone else was just… wrong. Kyle should be with him. And the only reason they weren’t together was because he was fucking stupid.

Kenny suddenly hugged him and Stan sobbed on his shoulder, just now realizing that he was crying. Kenny let him cry and Stan crumbled under the weight of every negative feeling plaguing his heart, a soothing hand rubbing his back.

“I-I… I love him, Ken…”

“I know, dude. I know. Way ahead of you. And you need to come clean.”

“I don’t know if I can…”

“It’s okay, you’ve finally opened your eyes. Everything will get better now, I promise.”

Stan cried for a little while until his sobs finally died down. Kenny sighed and squeezed him tight before letting him go. Stan wiped his face with his sleeve, feeling exhausted. It felt good to let go of some of the weight he had been carrying but it also felt so emotionally draining. He was just tired of feeling like this.

“Hey… I hate to do this but I really need to get ready for work, I got the lunch shift.”

“Okay…”

“Do me a solid and don’t drive yet, okay…? You’re upset and probably not completely sober yet. Here.” Kenny stood up reached into his pocket, taking out Stan’s car keys. 

“Why do you have my keys?”

“What, do you think I carried your drunk ass all the way across town? No dude, we drove here.”

“Oh…”

“So, yeah. Take a walk, get some fresh air. Okay? Clear your head a little.” 

Stan nodded and Kenny took him to the door, hugging him one last time. Stan walked aimlessly through town for a while, hands in his pockets. He didn’t feel like it was safe to drive in his current state either, so he decided to listen to Kenny and clear his head for a bit. He didn’t know how could he face Kyle. Did he really call him a faggot? He really lost control of himself. He needed to apologize, that was obvious. As to what to do after that… Should he tell Kyle? Right now, he felt… he felt like he was a burden on the world and those closest to him. If he told Kyle, that would make it all better? Or should he get better and then tell Kyle? And pray that it wasn’t too late. He didn’t want to hurt Kyle again. He didn’t know what to do. 

He ended up in front of Tweak’s & Bro. and decided to go in for a cup of coffee, which sounded amazing at the moment. He went in, seeing Tweek’s parents behind the counter, their blond son serving the tables. It was close to lunchtime so the place wasn’t very full. Tweek saw him, looking surprised for a moment.

“Hey, Stan! The usual? Your booth is free.”

“Hey, Tweek. Yes, please, that sounds awesome.” 

“Alright, I’ll bring it to you right away.”

Stan gave him a bit of a weak smile, hoping his recent crying was no longer obvious on his face. Tweek smiled back, not used at seeing Stan look so… defeated? Even when Stan was having a bad day he always had a comment or a smile for him, or winked at him, or flirted with him in some way. It was weird and concerning for Tweek to see him like that. He knew what had happened last night, he was still there when David told Craig on the phone. It was obvious that Stan was not okay. He prepared the coffee and brought it to him with a few cookies, leaving it in front of him with a smile and a quick ‘On the house’.

Stan took a sip from the coffee, welcoming the familiar taste. He crossed his arms in front of him and hid his face between them, the pain of the hangover was mostly gone thanks to the painkiller but his mind felt slow and heavy, the darkness helped relieve the sensation a bit. If his stomach didn’t feel like it was upside down, he would probably fall asleep. What was he going to do…? It had been a bad idea to go drink at the rock. That was his special place with Kyle, it always made him think about him if they were not together. Now… Now that place was almost sacred to him. Almost like a spiritual connection.

Okay, so. As Kyle always told him to do, he should try to look logically at this. Just focus on the problem. What did he need to do to fix it? Well, obviously, being with Kyle would be the ideal thing here, but Kyle was already with someone else. So how to fix that. He didn't really want to break them up, it was kind of… a scummy thing to do. Could he compete with David? Kyle said he wasn’t in love with the Mexican, which was promising, but David had way more experience, confidence, and already had the position. Still, it was Kyle, Stan wanted to think that he would be able to gain his heart if he did try. He wanted to think that Kyle would actually choose him if he had both options. The problem there was what he did the previous night. He would be surprised if Kyle wanted to see him at all after what he did. So, step one was to apologize. Then he would see about step two.

“God, you’re mopey lately.”

Stan raised his head, seeing Craig sit down across from him with his own cup of coffee. He said nothing, grabbing one of the cookies in front of Stan and putting it whole in his mouth, slowly chewing. Stan glanced at Tweek, who in turn was subtly glancing at them. So, Tweek must have called him and asked him to come. They stayed silent for a while, munching away at the cookies. Stan had never tried those but he had to admit they were pretty good, buttery, and with plenty of chocolate chips. Stan would never admit it, but Craig’s presence was somewhat comforting, especially because he wasn’t trying to pressure him into talking or fixing stuff. He seemed to have picked up a few things from dealing with Tweek (and Clyde).

After they finished their drinks, Craig patted Stan on the shoulder and nodded towards the doors, indicating that they should leave. The chullo wearing teen led the way outside and began walking down the street, he seemed to know where he was going. Stan was mindlessly following him, his brain still jumping from thought to thought until it finally calmed down, exhausted.

“So, what happened?” Craig asked suddenly with his usual disinterested voice, bringing a cigarette to his lips, lighting it up and handing it to Stan, getting a second one for himself. Stan took it with a muttered ‘thanks’, taking a moment to let the nicotine enter his lungs before answering.

“Your best friend didn’t tell you?” 

“…He did. Let me rephrase. What the fuck, Marsh? Why would you do that? There. Better?”

Stan glared at him but tried not to snap back, he knew Craig was just trying to help even if he did sound a bit judgy. 

“Just… a rough patch. They just had the bad luck to run into me at that particular moment.”

“Okay. You think they deserved it?”

“No? Not Kyle, at least.”

“So David did deserve it.”

“… No.”

“Do you regret doing that?”

“Of course I fucking regret doing that.”

“Okay, good.” They kept walking a bit more, the cigarette long gone when Craig finally stopped in the middle of the street. “Look, it’s not my business. But whatever it is you're going through, guilt is not gonna help you.”

“I want to apologize, but I don’t think Kyle wants to see my face right now.” 

“Kyle? No, I mean David. He’s my best friend and I would very much like you to apologize to him. Besides, considering how… close, they are, it would probably help you make amends with Jew boy too.”

“I don’t think David wants to see my face either.”

“Well, tough luck.”

Craig looked at the house next to them and Stan recognized where Craig had taken him. It was a one-story, simple house but big enough for a small family. It was David’s house. Stan looked at Craig, who had already started walking away back the way they came.

“He’s not home right now but he shouldn't take too long, he was already on his way.”

Stan looked around him, acutely aware that he was just standing like an idiot in front of David’s house. He sat down on the curb, waiting. He didn’t really want to apologize to David, it was too weird, but he knew he had to. Craig was right, the feeling of guilt and regret was not going to help him get better. He checked his phone that was, of course, still dead. So he just waited, until he heard a voice behind him.

“Oh, shit. Craig wasn’t joking.” Stan turned, seeing the Mexican boy standing near him, visibly unpleased to see him there. “The fuck do you want?”

“David…” Stan stood up facing the other boy, taking a deep breath. “I’ve come to apologize. For last night.”

“Okay.” 

“So… em, yeah. I’m sorry.”

“Okay. Fixed everything. Thanks.”

“Dude…” Stan sighed, he knew it was too much too ask to just be forgiven after the way he had behaved but he didn’t exactly know how to redeem himself. The animosity he felt towards the Mexican didn’t help to come up with ideas. “Look, I know it was weird. I’m really sorry about it, you guys didn’t deserve it. If… there is anything I can do…”

“Weird? It wasn’t weird, man, it was fucked up. Especially to Kyle. It’s the first time someone calls me a faggot but honestly, it came from you and I couldn’t care less what you call me. But Kyle… The best thing you can do is to stay the fuck away from him.”

“I…” Stan crossed his arms, shrinking a bit. “He knows I’m not a homophobe, he’ll know that I didn’t mean it. I’ve never called anyone a… a faggot. He knows that.” 

“Oh! You think you called us both that. No. No, no. That’s what you called me.”

“What…? But then…”

“You called him a slut. You told him to go ride dicks because that’s what really matters to him.”

“What? I didn’t do that! Did I…?”

“Oh, yes, you did.” 

“Oh, Jesus… I have to apologize, I have to--”

“You have to stay the fuck away from him, that’s what you gotta do.”

“No! I have to do something!”

Stan’s face went from guilt to horror. Last night’s incident had confirmed all the suspicions David had been accumulating about Stan’s newfound feelings for Kyle. Craig didn’t agree with it but Craig tended to be protective so David couldn’t be sure if that’s what he really thought. But he knew. He knew. And he wasn’t willing to let Stan take his happiness away from him. David stepped closer to Stan, getting into his personal space, poking his chest with a finger.

“Listen to me, pendejo. Kyle is with me and I’m not gonna let you ruin this.”

“What? I’m not trying to—”

“Yes, yes, you fucking are. Don’t think I didn’t notice. Kyle has always been gay, and your “best friend”, don’t you think that if he wanted to be with you, he would’ve tried? Or said something?”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. Leave us alone. He’s happy and he has enough to deal with, he doesn’t need your shit.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me, puto. Kyle doesn’t need you to make scenes like last night and give him more worries. Thank God I’m here to make him feel better and make him forget all about it. Still, he doesn’t need your fucking dramas.”

“What? What the fuck do you know?” Stan frowned and pushed him away, uncomfortable with the proximity and angry at what David was saying. “Fuck you!”

“Oh, he did.” David smirked, not really bothered by the push. “He did that _all night_. Right on that rock you love so much. We went back, you know? To the rock. To see if you had dropped your phone or something, it’s not like you would’ve noticed. And we stayed there. Kyle needed… some comforting after what you did.” David got close to him again, lowering his voice. “You were right about one thing, Stan. He loves my cock. And I _love_ giving it to him. You should’ve seen him… Riding my dick, screaming my name in pure ecstasy. I assure you, he was way too busy to think about you.”

“W-What… You’re lying…”

“Am I, though?”

“Yeah, you fucking are! Kyle wouldn’t do that! Not… Not there…”

“Right, because you seem to know him so well. Your super best friend that you didn’t even know was gay.”

“That’s… I-I…”

“You what? Eh? You nothing. Just fuck off and let him live. He’s better off with me, I know how to make him happy.”

“SHUT UP! I don’t believe you!” Stan’s fists were clenched, he knew he acted wrong but he felt that David was now just being cruel. His chest hurt and he was about to jump on the other teen. “You fucking liar!” 

“Fine, ask him yourself. I’m sure interrogating him about his sex life will go really well for you after saying the things you did last night. He won’t get angry at all, no. You fucking bigot.”

“I’m not a bigot!”

“Just go, Stan. It’s the best thing you can do.”

Stan's fists were shaking, he wanted so badly to punch him on his smug face. He almost did, but there was something in David’s smile, almost like he wanted him to do it. He looked around, some people from the nearby houses were curiously looking in their direction. David had used the word ‘bigot’, not ‘homophone’ so Stan guessed they thought he was being racist. He growled and flipped David off, walking away. It would not go well for him if he did anything else.

Stan was fuming. He was _furious_. How dared he?! How fucking dared he. That… that motherfucker, how dared he say those things about Kyle. Stan didn’t believe a fucking word, he knew Kyle wouldn’t do that. He knew Kyle cared. But he was so angry, he wasn’t even looking where he was going. He checked his phone, still with no battery. If only he could charge it with anger, it would explode right now. He found himself in a familiar street, unconsciously walking fast, full of energy. He wanted to apologize to Kyle but in the mood he was in… he was worried he was going to say something more he would regret. He walked by Cartman’s house and suddenly stopped. He needed to let something out, he needed to vent. He went straight for the door and rang the bell, Cartman’s mom opening the door shortly after.

“Hello, Stanley! Are you still looking for Eric? He’s back now.”

“Yes, please. Can I see him?”

“Of course, dear. He’s in his room, you can go on up.”

“Thank you.”

Stan made his way upstairs, bursting open the door. Cartman jumped sitting in front of his computer, turning the screen off and putting a hand on his chest, but Stan was too upset to notice or care.

“Stan, what the fuck! You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“Shut up, I need to talk.”

“Okay…?”

Stan began ranting, talking fast. He vomited everything he was feeling, how he wanted to punch David in the face, how he resented him for talking about their friendship like that, for saying those things about Kyle, for the things he _did_ to Kyle. He talked about how much he hated him, how much he wished he had never come to South Park. How much he wanted to make him pay. 

Cartman took his phone and sat calmly on the bed, letting Stan get everything out of his chest. He looked like he desperately needed to unload some weight. Cartman waited. And listened. Almost an hour had passed when Stan finally started losing fuel, his voice dying down until he sat on the bed, completely spent. Cartman sat a bit closer and rubbed his back, waiting a bit to see if Stan was going to keep talking, but he seemed like he was done.

“Do you feel better?”

“Yeah… Sorry for dumping all of this on you, I just… I couldn’t hold it in anymore.”

“Don’t worry about it, man. Always here to help. And I agree with you. That dirty Mexican…”

“Right?! …Right?”

“Yes, Stan. It’s not your fault, you shouldn’t feel bad. You should get better. Worry about yourself.”

Stan sighed and rubbed his face, standing up.

“Thank you. I really needed that. I… I should be going now, I need to get home at some point.”

“Anytime.”

Stan patted him on the shoulder and left, saying goodbye to Cartman’s mom on his way out. Once he stepped out on the street he took a deep breath. Being able to vent instead of bottling everything in really seemed to have done him some good. He felt a bit lighter, he could breathe a bit easier. He needed to get home. He headed to Kenny’s place, where his car was. The faster way was to keep going down the street, walking right by Kyle’s house. Should he apologize now, in person? He felt much better, maybe it was the best option. He wasn’t sure if Kyle would want to see him, though. He was debating with himself, getting closer and closer to the house, that wasn’t far from Cartman’s. The decision was made for him when he saw the Broflovski’s car parked in front of the house, their mom heading inside as Ike was coming out. Kyle appeared from behind the trunk, shutting it down, carrying what seemed to be the last shopping bag, and Stan froze.

“Kyle…”

The redhead turned when he heard his name, Kyle looked at his best friend with obvious surprise, not expecting to see him.

“Stan.”

"I'll take this."

Ike took the shopping bag from Kyle’s hands and shot him a glance silently telling him to take his time, going inside with their mother after locking the car. Kyle smiled at him in gratitude and approached Stan, unconsciously crossing his arms when he got close.

"Hey, dude..."

"Hey, Stan. We need to talk..."

"Yeah..." They walked to the tree, its trunk girthy enough for both of them to have some support, and sat down. "I wanna apologize for... You know..."

"What part?"

"All of it. I'm sorry I was like that and I'm sorry for... for what I called you, and... I'm so sorry, Kyle... I swear I didn't mean any of it. I was angry and... and jealous, I guess... And I tried to hurt you. I'm so sorry."

"You did hurt me. Don't ever call me that again. I think I'd rather be called a faggot as you did to David."

"I know... I'm so sorry... I can’t go back and change what I did, I can’t change being so shitty last night. You have every right to be angry. Trust me, I would do anything to make it up to you, and I swear it won’t happen again. Ever."

Kyle gave him a sad smile, taking Stan’s hand with his.

"I’m not angry, dude. I’m worried about you, this has gone too far. Stan, I... I want to apologize too. I’ve been so busy with my own life that I didn't realize yours was getting so bad, so fast. I promise I'll make some time for you. For us. But you have a problem and a very serious one. You need help."

"I'll be fine, I just..." Just what? Stan bit his lip, it's not like he could deny he had a problem. Man, if it was only one.

"No. I'm sorry but you can't pull the shit you did yesterday and say you'll be fine. You need help."

"What do you suggest I do? You know my father controls the money and he wouldn't pay for it. And don't suggest the AA meetings because they don't help me, okay? If they help someone else great, but not me. They just depress me and make me feel worse."

"I don't know, Stan... But I know you need to do something."

"Look, I know how to get out of this. Okay? I just need... like... a stepping stone, you know?"

"A stepping stone."

"Yeah."

Kyle sighed, wondering what he should do. What _could_ he do? Stan turned to look at him, unsure of what to say. He wanted to ask, he needed to ask if what David said was true but at the same time, he didn't. He didn't see himself able to deal with Kyle telling him about whatever they did last night after seeing him.

"Okay, let's make a deal." said Kyle looking at his best friend. "You can't drink this week, okay? At least during weekdays, you can't have any alcohol. And I promise that I'll make my best to complete any homework or projects I have, so on Saturday I'm completely free and we can hang out."

"Seriously?" Stan looked at him wide-eyed, a sincere smile appearing on his face. "For real?"

"Yep. Next Saturday we can do anything you want, I'm all yours. We can go to the movies, or go eat something or the arcade, or..."

"Or binge play something!"

"Yeah, of course!"

"Or... Or we can take my car, discover something new? A place we've never been before, maybe." Stan was getting excited just thinking about it.

"Anything you want, dude."

"Or! Oor, hear me out, we can play something like when we were kids. Reconnect with our childhood. With happier times."

"You mean like roleplay?"

"Yeah! Costumes and all. Just you and me though. What do you say?"

"Em... Okay, sure, if that's what you wanna do, that's what we'll do. Do you have anything in mind? Cowboys and Indians?"

"Or superheroes?"

"Or humans and elves?"

"Or cops and robbers! We didn't actually do that one, did we?"

"I don't think so, no. Not against each other, at least."

"Okay, we'll do that then! I'll be the cop, and I'll hide something, and you have to steal it without me catching you."

"Sure, sounds fun! So, what do you say? Deal?"

"Deal!"

Kyle couldn't help but laugh, Stan had gone from looking depressed to giddy and it made him feel good seeing him like that. They stood up and Stan hugged him, the wide smile brightening up his face. Kyle hugged him back, hoping this would help Stan get back from the dark place he was in right now. They said their goodbyes and Stan headed to Kenny's to get his car once again. The smile stubbornly stayed on his face until he got home. This was going to be a rough week, but he knew it would be worth it.


	14. Fuck

Sunday went by excruciatingly slow for Stan. He tried his best not to drink, doing anything he could think of. He opted for sodas instead of beers, and played, did exercise, helped his father at work and even cooked for a bit. It was evening already that he couldn’t hold it anymore and decided to have a drink. Kyle said he couldn’t drink during ‘weekdays’, probably guessing the struggle that Sunday would be, so Stan knew he had a bit of wiggle room. He decided that even if he drank a bit, the important thing was not to get drunk. So, he poured himself a glass and grabbed a second one, empty. He decided to pour only a little bit on the second glass and mix it with soda. Drink, and repeat. Ii was the best way he could think of to trick his brain into thinking he was drinking the same quantity and get some alcohol into his body, but not drink as much as he was used to.

It didn’t work completely, but just enough to pass the night. Monday night was even more complicated, because he couldn’t allow himself even a sip. He felt restless and nervous, so he decided to get into bed as soon as possible. It didn’t work completely either, it was around 1 am the last time he checked the time, but eventually he fell asleep. Tuesday was a little easier, not by much, but a little bit. But he did it, he managed not to drink as he counted the days until Saturday.

It was now Wednesday, Stan was laying on the grass at recess trying to relax. Kenny was cheerfully talking about some game but Stan wasn’t really listening. He felt weird, he always assumed that he couldn’t concentrate because he was hangover but even without drinking, his brain couldn’t focus. He felt like he was underwater, struggling to connect with the world around him. He hoped that the longer he went without alcohol, the more this effect would pass. He glanced at Kyle that had gone over to Token’s group to ‘say something to David real quick’, but he hadn’t come back yet and recess was almost over. It didn’t matter, on Saturday Kyle would be his, they would hang out and spend some time alone and nothing else would matter.

His phone buzzed and he checked the screen, seeing a text from Cartman, that was sick that day. He opened it, instantly frowning.

_It’s done_

_What is done?_

_What you asked me to do_

_?????_

_I didn’t ask u to do anything_

_Wat r u talking about?_

_U did_

_When u came to my place Sunday_

_Dude I have no idea what u talking about_

_David_

_??_

_… What did u do_

Cartman didn’t answer and the bell rang, calling them back to class. An ominous feeling invaded Stan, he could feel his stomach twisting with anxiety. Kenny looked at him weirdly seeing the change in his face but they had to part ways so he couldn’t really press and Stan deflected the questions when he asked. Once in class, Stan checked his phone under the desk. Cartman still wasn’t answering so he tried to press a bit on.

_Cartman what did u do_

_CARTMAN_

_Nvm_

_Its done_

_WHAT THE HELL DID U DO_

Cartman didn’t answer again. Stan bit his lip, he had a bad feeling about this. A horrible feeling. He tried to think back to that conversation that had barely registered in his brain, trying to think of anything specific he had asked Cartman to do, but he came up with nothing. What had he done? 

…Fuck.

For the rest of the day Stan kept waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. He couldn’t get in touch with Cartman, he didn’t answer his phone and he didn’t go to the club meeting. Stan didn’t know what to think. The last time he had seen David had been just after classes, as he and Kyle went to basketball practice. He was laughing, one arm around Kyle, his bag lazily perched on one shoulder. Nothing seemed wrong. Defeated and without knowing what to do, he went home, praying to whatever Gods were listening to not let anything bad happen.

\--

Kyle was at home, after basketball practice he had enjoyed a nice, hot shower, relaxing his muscles. He was already on his pajamas and ready to have dinner, he was starving. He loved playing, basketball practice and Friday nights, when he had sex with David, were his favorite moments of the week. Completely opposite to the rest of the week, filled with work, in those moments he could disconnect and let go of every worry, of everything in his brain.

That week was especially necessary to let go of some physical energy. He was realizing just how much David had been spoiling him, catering to his every need. Last Friday they had done what David wanted, and he had lots of fun, but the night didn’t exactly end the way it was supposed to. After running into Stan like that, Kyle wasn’t exactly in the mood. They had waited until Kenny arrived from a safe distance, and after helping Kenny put Stan in his car, they had gone straight home. David had done his best to comfort him, and he did stay the night, but Kyle hadn’t been able to do anything, divided between feeling hurt and too worried about Stan to get in the mood.

Now Stan seemed to be doing well, he had promised in the mornings on the way to school that he hadn’t drunk. He did look better, and he seemed happier. It made Kyle smile seeing him in high spirits. He was also waiting for the weekend, he really missed spending time with Stan and he was also feeling that childish excitement when thinking about the game. But now that things seemed to be going up he was feeling the lack of sex. It was the first time since he started seeing David months ago that he went more than a week without getting laid. How the fuck did he manage 17 years?

He was helping Ike set the table, his mother preparing everything, and his father already at the table when his phone buzzed. He checked the messages, seeing one from David.

_I need you. Right now. Can I come?_

Kyle looked at the screen with a frown, that wasn’t normal. Had something happened? He left the kitchen and stepped into the living room, calling as soon as he was out of earshot.

“David? Everything okay?” he asked as soon as the other picked up. He heard ragged breath at the other side of the line and what sounded like a sniffle.

“ _Kyle?_ ” David’s voice sounded rough and strained, as if he had been crying for a while and just recently stopped. “ _I’m almost at your place, can I come?_ ”

“Yes, of course… David, what happened?”

Kyle opened the front door seeing him approach the house, he really was close. David hang up when he saw the door open, Kyle felt even more alarmed when he saw the state he was in. He was wearing only a T-shirt, visibly shivering in the chilled air of the evening, his face was a bit puffy and his eyes red, confirming he had been crying not long ago. He stepped aside, closing the door once David was safely inside.

Kyle took a good look at his lover and took him towards the couch, putting a blanket over his trembling shoulders. David’s whole body was shaking, his wide shoulders were hunched, giving the impression of defeat and sadness. Kyle had never seen him like this.

“Dude, you’re freezing.”

Kyle sat him down on the sofa and rubbed his arms up and down to warm him up, sitting next to him. That skin that was normally so hot was painfully cold beneath his hands. David leaned over and rested his forehead on Kyle’s shoulder, sniffling again.

“What am I going to do…?”

“Kyle?” the redhead looked towards the kitchen door when he heard his mother’s voice, seeing his family standing there and peeking into the living room with a mix of worry and curiosity. “Is everything okay?”

David looked up as well when he heard them, wiping a tear away with the palm of his hand, managing a polite smile.

“Mr. and Mrs. Broflovski, I’m sorry to come unannounced like this.” His voice sounded tense but polite, almost as if he was telling some costumer at his parent’s restaurant that they’d run out of cheese. “I didn’t know where to go.”

“Don’t worry about it, dear.” Sheila looked over the teen with worry, he did not look good. “You must be freezing, I’ll make you a cup of cocoa.”

Kyle’s parents shared a look just as the redhead put a hand on David’s thigh, trying to get his attention.

“What happened?” he asked as softly as possible now that David seemed to have calmed down enough.

“He… he told my parents…”

“Who told him what?” asked Kyle in confusion.

“Cartman. He told them… He told them that I’m gay. He showed them photos. From the lake house.”

Kyle visibly tensed, discreetly removing the hand he had on David’s thigh while trying not to look at his own parents.

“They were furious… As if it was a fucking choice…” David sniffled again, wiping more tears. “They were screaming, they… they called me things. Then they kicked me out and said that I couldn’t live there anymore. They said I’m disowned now, that I’m no longer their son.” David leaned over and rested his elbows on his knees, hiding his face in his hands as more angry tears started falling. “What am I gonna do…?”

Kyle covered his mouth with his hand, horrified. He looked at his parents, silently asking for help. They looked at each other once more before Sheila nodded and went back into the kitchen to start making the cocoa. Gerald stepped into the living room and put a hand on the crying teen’s shoulder.

“For the moment, I’d suggest starting with a hot shower. Come on, I’ll lend you some clothes. I don’t think Kyle’s will fit you.” Both teens looked up appreciating the kind smile Gerald was giving them. “I’m sure your parents will see reason once they realize how much they miss you. You’re more than welcome to stay here for a few days while this gets sorted out.”

“Thank you, Mr. Broflovski…”

David got up and followed Gerald upstairs. Kyle went back to the kitchen, his face paler than usual.

“Mom, can I put one more plate at the table? I don’t think he ate…”

“Of course, bubbalah. We have enough for one more.”

“Thank you.”

Kyle went to the cupboard and retrieved one more plate and cutlery for David, putting them on the table. Ike went towards him, nudging him with his elbow.

“You okay, big bro?”

Kyle nodded, pacing around the kitchen when it was done. Gerald came back and sat on the chair, looking at his son, that had stopped pacing and was looking back at him.

“Thank you, dad. Mom. Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it, we’re happy to help someone in need.”

Sheila approached her husband and put a hand on his shoulder, Gerald’s hand going up to rest on top of hers.

“Kyle,” he started, his eyes never leaving his son. “in light of recent events, we want you to know…” he hesitated for a moment, feeling Sheila’s soft encouraging squeeze on his shoulder. “We want you to know that we would never do that to you.”

Kyle felt his blood run cold, not sure about what his father was implying.

“What?”

“We would never do that to you. We don’t care if you’re with a man or a woman as long as you can take care of yourself. Keep working hard. Don’t depend on anyone, regardless of their gender. Do you understand what I’m saying, son?”

Kyle felt a few tears fill his eyes. He nodded and crossed the kitchen in two big steps hugging his mother, who patted him on the back whispering ‘My perfect little boy’.

“Besides!” Gerald spoke up again, in a much lighter tone, patting Ike’s shoulder. “We still have Ike. A second chance to do it right.”

Kyle let go of his mother and glared as his father while Ike laughed, David entered the kitchen wearing one of his father’s pajamas. Although still sad, he looked like he had calmed down, his face mostly showing exhaustion.

“Thank you again Mr. and Mrs. Broflovski. So much.”

“Oh dear, you can call me Sheila, I’ve told you that before.” Said Kyle’s mom setting the cup of cocoa on the table, gesturing for him to sit down.

“You can call me Mr. Broflovski.” Said Gerald with a smile, Ike stifled a laugh, hiding it behind his hand.

They sat down at the table, the family did his best to make David feel comfortable, something that the teen deeply appreciated. The hot cocoa made him feel a little better, too. After dinner David tried to help the family clean up the table but they sent him upstairs to get settled in Kyle’s room. Kyle didn’t get so lucky. Gerald was the first one to go up to his office, followed by Ike that wanted to watch something before going to bed, Kyle staying behind to make sure everything was clean, the very least he could do for his mother at the moment. His mother glanced at him every once in a while, with a tiny smile, stopping him just as he was hugging her good night.

“Kyle… May I ask you something?”

“Sure, mom. What is it?”

“Is David your… boyfriend?”

“What? No! What kind of question is that?”

Sheila laughed as his son’s face went red from embarrassment, patting his head.

“It’s okay, son. Just… leave the door open.”

“Sure mother, when you learn how to close yours!”

Kyle turned around and went up, grumbling to himself until he entered the room. David was sitting on his bed, typing away at his phone. Kyle sat next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey.”

“Hey… I’m telling the guys what happened. They’re pretty mad.”

“No wonder… Fucking Cartman!” Kyle stood up and paced around the room, trying to calm himself. “Okay. Okay. First things first. I still have my old school bag, I can lend you notebooks and stuff. Yeah.”

He busied himself preparing the bag for David so he had something to bring to school. David laid back on the bed, watching his friends rage on the chat, Clyde and Tweek mostly panicking. They were all giving support, promising David that they would help him and everything would be alright. David wasn’t so optimistic. He loved his parents. He felt alone, and rejected, he felt… hurt, so deeply. He had always been scared of his parents’ reaction when they finally found out he was gay, and it turned out it had been for a good reason. His father was screaming and his mother was crying as David tried pointlessly to reason with them. It hadn’t worked.

Eventually David had started crying too. David’s father had tried to ‘order’ him to not follow that path, to never do something like that again, but David hadn’t backed down, telling him that it wasn’t a choice, that he would always loved men. That it was natural. David’s father insisted that he could still control how to act and what to do, that he could still find a nice, Christian girl to marry, that he didn’t have to follow those sinful ways. David didn’t agree. He said that he loved Kyle, and there was nothing he could or wanted to do about it. That had enraged his father, who ended up kicking him out without letting him grab anything.

Kyle had finished preparing everything and joined David on the bed, putting the covers over them.

“Ready to go to sleep?”

“Yeah…”

Kyle turned off the light and looked at David, lying there with an exhausted look on his face. Kyle caressed his cheek and hugged him, trying to bring him some comfort. What the fuck was wrong with Cartman? Why would he do something like that? What kind of benefit would this bring him? Cartman never did anything if it didn’t bring him some kind of benefit. The only times he’d seen him doing something without personal gain was for people like Butters or Stan. Besides that, Kyle could only think that maybe he did this to mess with him, a well-known hobby of Cartman was to mess with Kyle. Was that why he had targeted David? To hurt him by proxy? He felt David start to quietly sob, and Kyle hugged him a bit tighter, softly caressing his hair.

-

The next morning was a bit rushed as they overslept a bit, David putting on his jeans and an oversized hoodie from Kyle. Stan’s car was already parked outside when they stepped out.

“Dude, come on! We’re gonna be late!”

His face changed to confusion when he saw David coming out of the house, noticing the hoodie and Kyle’s old backpack hanging from his shoulder. His stomach turned, after Cartman’s messages the previous day he didn’t take it as something good. Kyle opened the door, waving at Kenny before looking at Stan.

“Can we not pick up Cartman today? If not it’s okay, we can walk.”

“No… no, it’s cool. He texted me saying he wasn’t coming today.”

“He’s not coming? Coward.”

He got on the passenger seat with a huff, David getting on on the back, next to Kenny. Stan took off, clearing his throat.

“Did… something happen?” asked Stan cautiously glancing at David through the rear-view mirror, his heart beating faster when he saw David was staring back at him, unwavering. Kyle looked unsure, what happened was not his business to tell, but David didn’t seem to have a problem though, as he answered quite easily.

“Cartman told my parents I’m gay, and they kicked me out. I’m staying at Kyle’s until I figure out what to do.”

“WHAT?! Fuck, man…” Kenny huffed inside his parka. “Are you okay? I don’t have much, but if you need anything…”

“Yes, Kenny, thank you. I hope you’re okay with taking all the weekend shifts from now on. I’m sure they’ll tell you about it this Friday.”

“I… Do you want me too? I can look for another job…”

“No. They will need your help now, please stay.”

“Sure… But, you know, just say the word…”

“Thanks. You’re a good friend, Kenny.”

Kenny bumped his arm with his fist and David gave him a kind smile, the only brief moment in the whole trip that his eyes tore from Stan’s face.

As soon as they arrived Kyle and David went to Token’s group, all of them looking worried, Craig looking more pissed than anything else. Stan got off the car feeling sick. So, this is what Cartman did… That was going too far, even for Cartman.

It was a long day for everyone involved, Kyle barely apart from David’s side the whole day. Stan felt like he wanted to vomit. Classes had finally ended and he went to the lockers, finding Kyle make a change of books for his extra classes.

“Hey…”

“Hey, Stan.” Kyle greeted without looking up at him.

“How’s David?”

“He’s… holding up, I guess.” Kyle finished and started heading to his class, Stan walking with him. “He’s gonna stay with me for a few days. After Token and I are done with classes the three of us will go to Token’s house and we’ll figure it out from there, hopefully.”

“I see…”

“This is so fucked up, dude… And Cartman is nowhere to be found. That coward son of a bitch. By the way, we… we need to talk. I’m gonna be busy today but we’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Okay…?”

They arrived to the class and went towards David and Token, people starting to enter. The Mexican saw him and smiled, his eyes glancing at Stan for a split second.

“Hey, you. We’ll be about an hour in there, you okay waiting around?”

“Yes, don’t worry. Focus on the class, okay?”

Kyle smiled and nodded, David took a quick glance around and pulled him away from the door so nobody inside could see them and gave him a quick but deep kiss. Kyle looked at him with surprise, David never risked it so much, but the Mexican shrugged. He tried not be seen for Kyle's sake, but his reason for not wanting people to know didn’t matter anymore. For him, the moment his parents found out, he officially came out of the closet and didn’t care about hiding it anymore.

“We’ll see you at the entrance, okay?” said Token waving at him before heading inside.

David nodded and Kyle waved goodbye to Stan as well, following Token inside. Stan felt awkward standing there with David now just looking at him and muttered a quick ‘See you’, hurrying off. To his surprise, David followed him, taking the cigarettes from his pocket. As soon as they wait outside he put one in his mouth, lighting it up. Stan waved goodbye assuming that he only wanted a smoke but David stopped him.

“Espera, putito.” David spoke up first, his face serious. “I want a word with you.”

“Em… Sure? What is it?”

“You seem troubled today.”

“Oh… No, I’m fine. How are you though? What happened with your parents sounded rough. I don’t know exactly what happened but… yeah.”

David stayed silent for a moment, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

“Yes, saying they weren’t happy is an understatement. It’s Cartman, so at first, they didn’t believe it but there were pictures. So yeah, they had little choice but to believe him.” David was calm and collected, far more than Stan would’ve expected for someone in his situation. “I can’t help but wonder though, you know? Why do this, and why do this now? He normally has a reason for doing shit, normally some kind of profit. Sometimes revenge. But he has reasons for doing the shit he does.”

Stan nervously shifted his weight from one leg to another. He couldn’t tell if David was accusing him of something or genuinely asking. The tone of voice didn’t convey innocent curiosity.

“I don’t know, dude. He doesn’t always share his reasons and he’s not here to ask him.”

“My parents think,” said David almost cutting him off, as if he knew what Stan would say or simply didn’t care about it “that he finally found out about what we do to his food. They’re scared that he’s going to spread that I’m gay as revenge for years of ‘extra-stuffing’ it. But I don’t agree, I don’t think that’s what this is about.”

They were uncomfortably silent for almost a full minute, Stan could feel David’s stare drilling into him. He opened his mouth but no sound came out, still unsure about what kind of situation that was. He could feel the animosity coming from David so he knew at least that it wasn’t a good one, the guy had literally followed him. As if he could sense this, David uncrossed his arms and stepped towards him.

“Listen to me, you pinche puto. Let me make this very clear. I don’t believe for a second that this happening now is a coincidence. I know you had something to do with it. I don’t know exactly what you did, or what you told Cartman, but I’m sure you’re behind this. And if I ever find actual proof of that, I’m not going to screw up your life and your family behind your back, no, I’m going to find you, and I’m going to _kick_. _Your. Ass_. Got it? Great. Good talk.”

With a last cold look David stomped on the cigarette and headed inside, leaving Stan frozen in place, processing the fact that David had actually threatened him.


	15. Rain Check

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey!
> 
> Dropping by real quick to leave this here.  
> Sorry for the delay, work and apartment hunting take so much time and energy, I swear.
> 
> -

The next day rolled around, Cartman was still nowhere to be found. Stan assumed he was letting that week pass to let David cool down. After he picked up Kenny he stopped by Kyle’s house, him and David getting on the car, David seemed to have his clothes and his own bag this time. Stan stayed silent the whole way to school. He could feel David’s eyes on him. Stan wasn’t sure if it was on purpose to make him nervous, but the Mexican stared at him often now. When he didn’t, it looked like it was out of disdain for him. Stan couldn’t really blame him, but intimidating him didn’t really help the situation. He didn’t know what was going through David’s mind. Kyle had told him that they needed to talk and Stan couldn’t help but feel anxious about it. It wasn’t until recess that the chance to do it actually came. Stan came out of his class and went towards the lockers, finding Kyle and Tweek chatting there with serious faces. Stan approached them silently and waited nearby to let them finish their conversation.

“I tell you, it was scary… I don’t know who was being more hostile…” Tweek was twitching slightly at the memory of whatever he was talking about. Stan frowned, he didn’t even remember the last time he had seen Tweek do that.

“No wonder. David being his best friend, and being gay himself I’m sure Craig is feeling this on a personal level.” Kyle sighed stashing his bag on his locker. “Still, your boyfriend has a good pair of balls, facing David’s parents like that. I’m glad he offered to go get his things, David started shaking just by reminding him it needed to be done…”

“I guess… That’s Craig for you. You should’ve seen him, he was so angry. He didn’t hold back at all. He wasn’t taking no for an answer, either. He demanded David’s things more than asked for them.”

“I bet David’s father wasn’t happy about it.” Kyle rubbed his face, leaning against the locker. “I hope Craig was hard on him though. He deserves it.”

“Oh, he was. Craig told him that now the whole town would know now what kind of shitty people they were and how he hoped they would stop going to his restaurant because of it.”

“Damn…”

“Yeah… David’s father tried to answer back referring to the fact that Craig is also gay and that his parents shouldn’t allow it, but Craig was so… He didn’t take any shit, that’s for sure. He told David’s father that it would be impossible for that to happen because unlike David he had good parents. He told them that wanting your son to be miserable for whatever reason showed how bad they were and how surprised he was that David was such a great person coming from bad people. Mostly stuff like that, a lot of things were said.”

“Well, fuck me. No compassion at all.”

“I told you! He was ruthless.”

“Mmh… With a bit of luck that will make David’s parents think about what they did.”

“I hope so? I don’t know if that what Craig was trying though, I think he was just trying to make them feel bad. And people don’t normally react in that way when you attack them?”

“All the same. I hope this gave them another perspective and something to think about.”

“We can only hope, I guess….” Tweek sighed and his eyes shifted, spotting Stan waiting nearby. “Oh, hey Stan!”

Stan jumped startled at this, he had been so engrossed by the conversation that he had forgotten he was just standing there. Kyle turned around and spotted him too, Stan stepped forward, blushing slightly. 

“Hey… I was hoping I could talk to Kyle?”

“Sure, we’re done anyway. I’ll go outside with the others. See you guys later.”

Tweek waved at them and made his way outside. Stan approached Kyle, that still had a serious face on.

“Hey, dude… You okay?” Stan asked cautiously. 

“I’m fine…”

“You… em… You wanted to talk?”

“Mmh? Oh, yes. Let’s go outside, we still have some time.”

They went out to the yard, sitting on the steps. Stan could see where the others were, sitting or laying around on the grass that was already known in the school to be their place. They were the oldest ones there so it’s not like they would have any competition over it. He saw David glance at them as they sat down but he focused on Kyle, trying to ignore him.

“So… Listen, the situation is… pretty fucked up right now…” 

“I know, dude. You don’t have to explain. How is David doing?”

“He could be better… I’m glad Craig could get his things but I think that just made it more real for him.”

“I see… I can’t believe in today’s day and age there are people that still think like that.”

“It makes my blood boil!” Kyle squeezed his fists growling with anger. 

“At least he gets to be with you, right…? He’s staying at your house after all… Do you have the space…?”

“Sure, yes. Since we’re… you know, kind of together, we don’t have a problem sharing a bed for a while. Still… I wish things were different for him. Why would Cartman do something like this?” Kyle suddenly turned towards Stan, startling him. “Do you know something? He’s always bullied Kenny for being poor, or me for being a Jew. The only one in the group he actually respects is you, so if he was going to tell someone… He stills texts you, doesn’t he? Why did he do this?”

“I-I… I don’t know…”

“Come on, he must have said something.”

“I have no idea. It’s Cartman, dude. You know him.”

“I see… It’s probably because of me, then…”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“You know him too. You know how racist he is. And antisemitic too. He’s obviously not getting anything out of this, apart from personal pleasure.”

“So?”

“You know how much he enjoys messing with me. An unprovoked attack like this…” Kyle looked down, his fists tight with anger. “What happened to David… It’s because of me. It has to be. There is no other reason why he would target David. That… coward…”

Kyle was shaking and Stan didn’t know what to do. What happened was not because of Kyle, it was because of him. He just couldn’t say it. But he didn’t want Kyle to feel guilty because of something that was not his fault either.

“I… look, I don’t know why Cartman did this… But if you really want to blame someone, this is on him. This came out of him, period. You did nothing wrong.”

“Still, if David wasn’t with me, he would be fine. He would be home with his parents, having a normal life.”

“You don’t know that. This was bound to happen sooner or later.” Stan sat a bit closer to him, taking Kyle’s hand. “David was hiding the fact that he’s gay from his parents, they would have found out at some point anyway. And they would have reacted the same way, even if you weren’t in the picture. This is not on you. Besides, what are you supposed to do? Stay single forever in fear of Cartman doing something?”

“Of course not! I... I don't know... God, I can't wait for college. I need to get away from this fucking town.”

“What? No! That's not... that's not the conclusion that... You know that, let's just drop it.” Stan looked down, there wasn’t much more he could say. “So… what did you want to talk about?”

“Oh, yeah! Em… You know, about the game we planned…”

“You don’t want to do it anymore?”

“I do! I do, but this Saturday I’m gonna be busy. We talked to Token’s parents and explained the situation. They agreed to take him in so he’ll be living there from now on until he turns 18 and finds his own place. That’s the plan, anyway. This weekend I’m gonna help him move and get settled there. It’s okay to postpone it for a bit, right…?”

“Eh- Yeah! Sure dude, don’t even worry about it. Do what you have to do.”

“Thank you.” Kyle smiled warmly at him, squeezing his hand. “You still can’t drink on weekdays, though. Okay?”

“S-Sure… Don’t worry, I’m doing good.”

“That’s great to hear.”

“How did you want to do this? The game, I mean… At some point we’ll do it, right?”

“Heck yeah, we will!”

“Then should we plan for it anyway? And do it when we can?”

“Sure!” Kyle smiled a little wider, he seemed to be happy about it. “Let me think… We decided on Cops and Robbers, and it’ll be a one-on-one, so… We should decide a location big enough to make it a challenge but still contained. Something with hiding spots. Like a big building we can freely move in.“

“Okay… So we put an object that you have to steal somewhere and… you have to get it without being caught.” 

“That’s the idea. Let’s lay down some rules. You can’t just camp outside wherever it is or around it, I don’t want you to be able to do that.”

“Sure. I’ll patrol the area then.”

“Actually… It feels kind of unfair if you know where the object is, you can just keep an eye it.”

“That’s how the game works! You’re just making it too easy for yourself. If I can’t know then you can’t know either.”

“How am I supposed to steal it if I don’t know where it is? And how will we hide it in the first place?”

“Mmh… We can have Kenny hide it. Give you a hint about the location or something, but not tell you directly.”

“That could work. Any rules you want?”

“Mmh… Yes, you will have a limited time to do it. An hour. So you can’t just camp nearby either waiting for me to go away indefinitely.”

“Okay, that’s fair.”

“Aand, you can’t just win by grabbing it, you have to take it out of the building. So I can snatch you on your way out too.”

“Seriously? Fine, but then I won’t lose unless you catch me with the object. If you do it before, since I haven’t stolen anything, I’m not a robber yet.”

“Alright, but then… we’ll decide an area that serves as ‘Jail’ and you’ll have to wait there for 5 minutes or something like that. Put some pressure about the time.”

“Okay! Let’s recap. I have an hour to get to an object, steal it and get it out. You’ll patrol the area and try to catch me. If you catch me but I haven’t stolen it yet, I’ll go to jail for 5 minutes. I succeed, I win. You catch me with the object or time runs out, you win. Sounds good?”

“Sounds good! Where do you wanna do this? We could do it back at the farm.”

“I don’t know... It’s either the barn or the house, neither are good… And hiding it among the plants doesn’t sound like a good idea. Besides, your father will be around. My house is out too, not big enough to allow that kind of mobility.”

“Mmh… A public building then? Like the library?”

“The library? I think we’ll get in trouble if we try to do it there. Mmh… It should be a building where we can move freely, preferably empty on Saturday. Somewhere we know very well and can access without much trouble.”

They stayed silent for a minute, trying to think about a place that fit that criteria. Recess ended and the bell rang, bringing them back to reality. They both seemed to have the exact same idea at the same time and gasped looking at each other.

“The school!”

They smiled, all the details of their game now laid out, both feeling excited about it. 

“Doesn’t it have an alarm though? They decided to do that after we trashed the elementary school as kids.”

“That’s okay, I can disarm it.”

“You what?” Stan looked at him with a raised eyebrow, but Kyle only shrugged.

“Don’t worry too much about it, Stan. I’m a professional, you know.”

“Is that so. It’s ‘Officer Marsh’ to you, by the way.”

“Really.” Kyle laughed, extending his hand to him. “Well, Officer Marsh. May the best man win.”

“May the best man win.”

Stan shook his hand and they joined the people that was starting to go inside to head back to class, waving at each other with a smile.

-

As Kyle had told Stan, the weekend was spent moving the few things David had at Kyle’s house to Token’s and setting him up in a guest room. The guys decided to throw him a little party to cheer him up and the redhead ended up spending the whole weekend there. Doing schoolwork at Token’s turned out to be very convenient since he had a great connection, a laptop he could borrow and he shared a lot of classes with Token so they could help each other.

Next week felt strange and those involved fell into a new, weird routine. Cartman still wasn’t coming to school and wasn’t answering to anyone anymore, not even Stan. Stan wasn’t sure if the brunette was waiting for something to happen or was just trying to give it time so Craig wouldn’t beat his ass up as soon as he put a foot in the school, something Craig had very vocally expressed he wanted to do.

Kyle spent most of his time in school with David, who seemed to be adapting pretty well but Stan could feel it. In those split seconds were his eyes met with the Mexican’s, he felt the coldness and the anger that was lying there, underneath his easy-going guy façade. Stan didn’t think that David would actually do anything to him, at least unprovocked and in public, so he was mostly trying to stay out of his way.

Kyle decided to postpone the game again, telling Stan that it would be the first normal weekend that David would be living out. Stan didn’t object. He was dying to spend some time with Kyle, and he was super pumped about the game, but he didn’t feel like he had the right to say anything if Kyle wanted to be there for David. So, he waited patiently. 

When the second weekend arrived, Stan looked for ways to entertain himself as the redhead headed to the Black residence. Kyle rang the doorbell and Token’s mom opened the door with a smile.

“Well, hello Kyle. What can I do for you?”

“Good evening, Mrs. Black. I’m just here for a visit. I hope it’s not a bad time?”

“Not at all! Come on in, the boys are in the game room.”

“Thank you.”

The woman stepped aside and Kyle entered, giving her a polite smile before heading upstairs looking for David to try and cheer him up. David wasn’t the kind of person to overly show when he was upset, and it took a lot to make him act on it, but he knew that being rejected by his parents had really hurt him. Kyle (nor nobody in David’s group) had spoken a word to Cartman since it happened. David still tried to be his cheerful self when they were in school or with other people, but when they were alone his demeanor changed. Kyle was more than happy to provide comfort, and he was glad that David was comfortable enough with him that he could be himself, but Kyle wished there was more he could do than just being there.

He tried not to mention Stan since that only seemed to worsen David’s mood, but he didn’t know what else he could do. He knocked on the door of the gaming room and opened it, seeing David, Clyde, and Token on the sofa playing games. It was a big room, with a huge TV on one wall with all the gaming systems they had, a big sofa on the middle of the room facing the TV that the guys were sitting on and a table on the other wall, that was covered with square-ish shelves full of videogame merchandise. The boys greeted him and Kyle approached them standing behind David with his hands on the other’s shoulders. After the game they were playing ended David got up passing the controller to Clyde and went around the couch to kiss Kyle hello.

They decided to go to the guest room that was currently being used by David to watch something by themselves. As Kyle took away his jacket, he watched David fetch the tablet he was borrowing from Token, opening the Netflix app. It was weird to see him so quiet and somber, so Kyle went up to him and hugged from behind.

“Hey.”

David didn’t answer but left the tablet on the bed with a sigh and rubbed the arms Kyle had around him. Kyle closed his eyes and stayed there in silence until David turned around, hugging the redhead’s shoulders. 

“You know, I wasn’t sure if you were going to come. You haven’t talked much to Stan but I couldn’t be sure.”

“Of course I came, why wouldn’t I?”

“Because of that game thing. I hoped you wouldn’t do that thing with Stan but, you know…”

“It’s just a game, there are more important things.”

“Thank you…” David smiled and leaned down to kiss him. “I’m sorry you had to cancel it, but I appreciate it.”

“Well, not canceled. I mean, we’re still doing it, but we postponed it.”

“Wait, you’re still doing it?” David moved his arms to grab Kyle’s shoulders and pulled apart enough to look at his face. “For real?”

“Yes…?”

David frowned and let him go, pacing around the room. Of course, Kyle would never suspect Stan even being remotely related to what happened, but it looked so obvious to David that he couldn’t fully understand how it was possible. 

“Seriously? After everything he’s done lately?”

“He was very drunk, David. He didn’t mean anything he said.”

“He was sober the day after when he came to my house.”

“You were both upset, I’m sure things were said on both sides.”

“Are you kidding me right now? I got kicked out of my house!”

“Yes, because of Cartman.”

“Only Cartman? Come on Kyle, you’re supposed to be smart.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kyle frowned and crossed his arms, feeling a bit offended but trying to be understanding. “You’re being unfair, you know it was Cartman. I know you and Stan aren’t exactly on good terms, but you’re accusing him without proof.”

“I don’t need proof! Do you honestly believe he had nothing to do with it?”

“Yes, yes I do! Why would you even think that?”

“Because it’s obvious?”

“Oh, stop it. Stan wouldn’t do something like that, ever.” 

“Yes, he fucking would. He’s not an innocent little angel. He’s a self-centered, little bitch who doesn’t mind splashing everyone around him with his shit.”

“Wow! Stop it right there! We all have problems, and he might not be in his best moment but he’s a good guy, okay? And he doesn’t deserve all this shit you’re saying about him.”

“A good guy? No, he’s fucking not!”

“Yes, yes he is!”

“STOP DEFENDING HIM!”

Clyde and Token looked at each other still sitting on the couch of the game room, the others’ voices getting loud enough to be heard from there. Clyde looked back at the TV taking a sip of his soda as Token turned up the volume.

“Don’t scream at me! And I’m going to if you’re gonna accuse him of shit he didn’t do! I asked him if he knew anything about it, why Cartman would do that out of the blue and he said he didn’t!”

“And you bought that?” asked David incredulously.

“YES!”

“Well, I’m glad to know there is at least something you’re willing to swallow.” Replied David with sarcasm. “Even if it’s bullshit. Of course, it comes from Stan so I shouldn’t be surprised. Seriously, how the fuck can you be so blind.”

Kyle gasped and closed his fists. He wanted to be sensitive, but David was crossing a line.

“I’m not blind, you’re just against him. The only obvious thing here is how much you dislike him. Why, for some drunken comment? Because that’s ridiculous. You’ve never been so hostile towards him, that didn’t happen until… we… Well… Are you sure there isn’t another reason why you’re blaming Stan…?”

“Wait, what? You think I’m saying this out of jealousy or some shit?” 

“I mean… makes more sense…?”

David inhaled deeply, rubbing his face. He went to the nightstand and grabbed his pack of smokes, leaving the room. 

“Fuck this.”

“David, wait!”

Kyle followed him all the way out the property, the taller boy already with a lit cigarette on his mouth when Kyle reached him just outside the gate. Kyle let him get some nicotine into his system knowing that helped calm him down. After he was finished, he threw it on the ground and stomped on it, putting his hands on his hips, looking defeated.

“Better now…?”

David didn’t answer, just exhaled through his nose and looked away. Kyle approached him and gently took his face into his hands to make David look at him.

“David, it’s okay to be angry… Your parents love you, I’m sure they just need some time to process this.” 

“You don’t fucking know that. They hate gays and now they hate me too.”

“They don’t hate you… Just give them a bit to process this, please… In the meantime, we’re here for you. I’m here for you.”

David took the redhead’s hands with a frustrated sigh, leaning down to rest his forehead on Kyle’s. He knew he had no proof, but he had good instincts. And his gut was telling him that Stan was involved and why. He just couldn’t say that. His deal with Kyle had been clear, if Stan ever returned his feelings, David would step down and walk away. He didn’t want to.

He shouldn’t have tried to piss him off when the other teen went to his house but this reaction had been way out of proportion. He opened his eyes seeing Kyle looking up worriedly at him. No, he wasn’t going to let Stan, or Cartman, or whoever, fuck him up like this. He didn’t know what he was going to do about his parents, probably give them some time and try to reason with them again. For now, he was fortunate enough to have friends he could rely on.

And he had Kyle. He knew he was on borrowed time with the redhead, he always had been. But even if Kyle would never believe his ‘super best friend’ would do something like this, he had still chosen to be there, with him. He wasn’t going to throw that away. He smiled and leaned down, kissing the shorter boy.

“I can’t say I’m in the mood for ‘chill’, but we can go back to my room if you still wanna Netflix.”

Kyle mirrored his smile, stealing another kiss from him.

“Netflix and Cuddles, then. I’m in.”

\- 

A good couple of hours later, Token knocked softly on the door of David’s room, opening a bit.

“Hey, is it okay to enter? Are you guys dressed…?”

“Yeah man, it’s cool.” David spoke softly, trying not to wake up the now sleeping Kyle. "We didn't do anything, we're just watching a movie."

Token poked his head in, seeing David laying comfortably on the bed with the tablet up, one arm wrapped around Kyle’s sleeping form. He lowered his voice, understanding why David had.

“Hey, we were gonna order some food. You guys want in?”

“Em… Not right now. I wanna let him rest for a bit.”

“Sure. We’ll just order a bit extra, you guys can come down later if you get peckish.”

“Sounds awesome, thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Hey, is… everything okay…?”

“Yeah. Yeah, everything’s fine.”

“Okay. See you later then.”

Token closed the door and headed downstairs. David put the tablet on the nightstand and sighed, looking at the redhead passed out on his chest. He was slipping up with Kyle, he knew it. He had never screamed at him, he was glad Kyle hadn’t taken it badly. He hugged him a bit closer. He wanted to remember this. He wanted to remember the warmth of Kyle’s body on top of his, the smell of his shampoo, how peaceful he looked when he was sleeping. How well the shorter boy fit into his arms. He wanted to memorize each and every detail. He was going to enjoy those moments for however long he could.


	16. Cops & Robbers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the Game!
> 
> It was my birthday a few days ago and I decided to give myself a little present. In Style!
> 
> _

Stan was smoking a cigarette outside the school, his foot rapidly tapping the ground. He couldn’t believe it; the day had finally arrived. It was a sunny Sunday, he was waiting for Kenny to come out from hiding the “treasure”. They had chosen a small golden fidget spinner that looked like a golden snitch, with a gold center and two silver blades that looked like wings. Kenny was a fan of the books so Stan had gifted that to him one Christmas and now he had graciously offered to lend it to them for their game. 

Kyle had barely separated from David since he got kicked out; at least the Mexican was no longer living at his house. Still, besides that conversation about the game three weeks ago, it had been impossible to catch Kyle alone and Stan was doing his best to stay away from David, so he was itching to spend some time with his best friend. Finally, the day was here, that afternoon he would have Kyle’s undivided attention. No David, no school, nothing. If they finished the game soon, he would ask Kyle to hang out longer. Maybe grab a bite and go to their rock at the lake for dinner. 

The front door opened and Kenny came out, hands in his parka, wearing a tiny grin when he saw Stan’s excited, smiling face.

“Okay, it’s hidden now. Don’t lose it, okay?”

“Don’t worry, dude. So, where is it?”

“I’m not supposed to tell you that. I’ll just say that it’s on the second floor, east wing.” Kenny looked around, noticing Kyle wasn’t there. “Where is Kyle?”

“Okay, good enough. Thanks, Ken.” Stan took out another cigarette, offering it to Kenny, who took it gladly. “We’re doing this after lunch, he’s finishing some stuff at Token’s… I think. I’ll have to get here a bit early to prepare the area.”

“Prepare the area?”

“Well, I’m not gonna make it too easy for him. I do wanna win. Come on, I’ll drop you off.”

“Thanks, I have to be at work soon.” Kenny chuckled and shook his head, slowly blowing out smoke as they got on Stan’s car. “Let me know how this goes, okay?” 

“Sure, dude. Thanks for everything.” Stan started the car and turned around, fortunately the restaurant wasn’t far.

“Don’t mention it. Hey, Stan…” Kenny turned towards him, looking at Stan seriously. “Be careful.”

“Careful…? What do you mean?”

“Now that you finally realized your feelings for Kyle… Well, you guys haven’t been in contact much but today…”

“What? I’m happy but I’m not gonna faint from excitement or anything.”

“That’s not it…” 

“What is it then?”

Kenny lowered the window, blowing the smoke out. He couldn’t really explain it. He was happy for them. They had been his best friends for years, Kenny knew them better than anyone. After all the shit had been happening that year, their friendship had really taken a hit. When they told him about the game they were planning, it had made him so happy, he had been more than glad to help.

He knew what they felt for each other and even if they were both aware of it now… or maybe because of it… Kenny really couldn’t explain where it came from, but now that this was happening, he had a really bad feeling about the whole thing. Cartman being AWOL for almost a month now was making him even more nervous. It had been too long, there was no way he wasn’t planning something, it was Cartman. 

“Dude?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I hope you guys have fun. Just… don’t feel bad if tomorrow Kyle keeps spending his time with David. Okay? The guy went through a lot and… you know, they’re together.”

“Well, they’re not really together. More like fuck-buddies kind of thing.” Stan grimaced, he could feel his stomach acid go up every time he thought about it. “Right?”

“Dude, have you seen either of them hook up with anyone else? Do you think they have?”

“Well, no…”

“And this last month, has it looked like they were just fuck-buddies?”

“Well… No…”

“I’m just saying, this is a step in the right direction for you guys. But don’t expect everything to change in a day. Don’t feel disheartened, okay?”

“Disheartened…?” 

“Yep. I mean, I assume… that you want to be with Kyle?”

“… This is so weird, dude. I’m glad I told you, but… this is just weird.”

“Is that a yes or a no?”

“I don’t know! Okay? I just… I don’t know. I don’t want them being together, that’s for sure.”

“Mmmh….”

“What?”

“Nothing. Just… don’t do anything stupid.”

“Dude, it’s just a game.”

“I know, I know. Forget I said anything. Tell me how it goes, okay?”

“Sure, will do.”

They arrived at Nueva Familia and Stan stopped the car. He had considered getting lunch there, but he felt guilty just looking at the place. Kenny got out of the car and waved at him, getting ready for a new day of work. Stan waved back and drove away. What was up with Kenny? Whatever, he was way too excited to care. He knew that not everything would change back to the way it was with just hanging out one afternoon. He kind of hoped it would but he knew it probably wouldn’t. As Kenny said, it was a step in the right direction.

-

Kyle arrived at the school, a little after six. David and Token had decided to go watch a movie that afternoon and offered to drop Kyle off for the game since Kyle had lunch with them at Token’s. He was wearing tight black pants and a black and white striped shirt. As they stopped, he put on a black beanie and a black eye mask, completing his robber look before getting out of the car. 

“Have fun.” David smiled, rolling the window down.

“Thank you.”

David gestured for Kyle to get close and as soon as the redhead was close enough he grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. Kyle smiled into the kiss, caressing David’s face.

“We’ll talk once I’m back home, okay?”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Okay. I’ll text you later then.” 

The car took off and Kyle waved it away, taking a deep breath.

“You okay, man?” said Token without taking his eyes off the road.

“Yeah. I just wish he wouldn’t do this.”

“It’s just a game. I get it, man. Really, I do, but you gotta give Kyle some room. We don’t actually have any proof that Stan has anything to do with this. And they’re super best friends and shit. I have to say, Kyle has been… you know.”

“What?”

“With you. They have barely talked, he has been at your side all this time. You can’t really complain about his actions.”

“I don’t care. The less time they spend together, the better.”

“Come on… Let’s just go to the movies, distract yourself a little.”

As soon as the time hit six o’clock, Kyle entered the school as silently as he could. The hall seemed silent enough. He had received an ‘anonymous’ tip on his phone with the message: ‘You can learn so much from music.’. From Kenny’s phone. He crossed the Hall, there seemed to be no signs of Stan. If his deduction was correct, he needed to get upstairs. Eastside. Now, his bigger problem was going up the stairs. Once on the upper floor, he could find places to hide but the chance of Stan spotting him when going up the stairs was very high. He decided to take the stairs of the west side of the school and cross the upper floor, it seemed safer. He didn’t know how long it would take him to find the ‘treasure’, he had no intention of getting caught and spending any time in ‘Jail’. He quietly went up the stairs. As soon as he reached the second floor he saw some bubble wrap lining the final steps.

So, Stan had decided to cover the west stairs too. Smart. He carefully stepped over the bubble wrap and made his way over to the east side. He could faintly hear Stan. He was probably wearing boots with a hard sole that made noise on the linoleum floor when he walked. That was convenient. He watched the floor, all around the area he could see more bubble wrap and marbles, no question about those things making noise if Kyle wasn’t careful.

His target was at the other side, so Kyle needed to cross the floor that Stan was patrolling. He carefully crossed the obstacles trying not to step on them so he wouldn’t make noise. He could hear Stan approaching and hid behind some lockers, his heart beating a bit faster when the other teen passed by. He needed to be smart about this. He peeked out, he could see the light from the flashlight Stan was probably carrying getting away. It wasn’t dark yet, but the sun had set enough for the light to be visible.

Unfortunately, he was going in the same direction he needed to go. Fortunately, each wing made a complete loop so it was not likely that Stan was gonna turn around. He stepped outside from his hiding place and followed Stan from a distance. The black-haired teen turned a corner, Kyle tried to follow but he heard the other stop and turned around.

“Shit, shit, shit…”

He spotted Kenny’s locker, which he knew was mostly empty, and put the combination as fast as possible, sneaking inside. He tried to hold his breath as Stan passed right in front of him, seeing the light through the slits of the locker door. 

“Come out, come out, wherever you are…”

Kyle covered his mouth not to laugh getting out of the locker once Stan was far enough. He looked at the clock on the wall, about 20 minutes had passed, so about 40 were left. He still had plenty of time. He grabbed a pencil that Kenny had in his locker and left it ajar. He went to his own locker and opened it. He threw the pencil as hard as far as he could towards Kenny’s locker direction and quickly got into his own. 

Stan heard the noise and headed to the area to investigate. He went towards a corner and shed some light over the area. At first, he saw nothing. Then he noticed a pencil that wasn’t there before. He directed the flashlight towards the hallway and noticed a locker that was slightly opened. He was sure all of them had been properly closed until now. He approached it, noticing it was Kenny’s locker. He opened it, seeing nothing suspicious. So, Kyle was using the lockers, uh. Stan grinned. He went to Cartman’s locker. Nothing. He went to his own locker. Nothing. He went to Kyle’s locker. He opened it with a loud ‘aha!’. But it was empty.

Kyle was in that very moment sneaking into the music room. Kenny’s ‘anonymous tip’ had been so obvious that Kyle had no doubt where he was supposed to look. He started searching everywhere as silently as he could. All drawers, desks, instruments, closets. He spent a good 15 minutes searching. Finally, he opened the old piano and there it was, Kenny’s golden snitch fidget spinner. He took a little plastic baggy out of his pocket and put the fidget spinner inside, hiding it in his beanie. He put it on the backside, just above the neck, so Stan wouldn’t see a weird bump if he looked at him. There was no way he would put the fidget spinner in his hair without a plastic bag, he would never get it out. He closed the lid of the piano and looked up, already tasting the victory. He was about to head outside when the door opened, Stan standing there with a smirk.

“Well, well, well… What do we have here…”

Kyle’s jaw dropped, fully seeing Stan for the first time. There he stood, an arm on the door, a smug grin on his face. He was actually wearing a cop uniform and Kyle wanted nothing more at that moment than to jump his bones and tear it off him. Stan stepped inside, advancing until he was at the other side of the piano. They looked at each other for a moment, feeling like time itself paused.

Suddenly, Stan launched forward to go around the piano and catch Kyle, the redhead sprinting towards the door.

“You’ll never catch me alive!”

He had already crossed the door when Stan jumped, tackling him to the ground. Stan put his hands on Kyle’s back, pushing down so he wouldn’t get up, straddling Kyle’s thighs. He had to admit, he really had to fight himself not to grind against Kyle’s ass, so plump and close to his dick at that very moment.

“Gotcha, thief. Took anything that wasn’t yours?”

“Fuck you, pig.”

“Ooh, getting sassy with the law, aren’t we? Get up, thief.”

Stan got off him and turned Kyle around, quickly slapping handcuffs on him before he could escape. 

“Dude, you actually brought handcuffs?”

“You can bet your sweet ass I did. You’re going to jail. Now, where is it?”

“Where is it? Where is what?”

“Don’t play dumb, it’ll only make things worse for you.”

“I took nothing! I’m innocent!”

“We’ll see about that.”

He stood up pulling Kyle up with him. He grabbed the chain that connected the handcuffs and pulled him back into music class. He paused a moment to think and something caught his eyes, a painting. It wasn’t an actual painting, it looked like something someone had printed and put a frame on. He took it off the wall and grinned, grabbing Kyle’s arms and raising them to put the hook through one of the links of the chain. Due to Kyle’s short stature, he was forced to stand on his tippy-toes. That meant that he couldn’t get on them to raise and unhook himself, effectively trapping him there.

“Goddamnit. Let me go, pig!”

“Ah, ah, ah. I would watch that sass if I were you, scum. Where are you hiding it?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kyle narrowed his eyes, staring at Stan. “Pig.”

“It’s officer Marsh to you.”

Stan kneeled down in front of Kyle, putting his fingers inside his shoes to make sure he was hiding nothing there.

“Officer Marsh. Of course. Well, I’m innocent, officer Marsh. I took nothing.” 

“Then you have nothing to worry about, do you? Of course, you still trespassed so you’ll go to jail.”

“Urgh.”

Stan’s hands started patting up his legs, trying to feel any bump that revealed something that shouldn’t be in there. Kyle held his breath, he hadn’t had proper sex in almost a month now, and feeling the hands of the person he was in love with feeling up his legs was affecting him more than it should. 

Stan was in a similar predicament. He was having a bit of trouble controlling his hands, having Kyle tied up in front of him really made him want to go wild. Kyle’s breath caught in his throat when he felt Stan reach his thighs. Stan was not just patting him down, he was… squeezing slightly. He shivered, taking a deep breath. Stan’s face was right at the level of his crotch, there was no way Stan wouldn’t notice if he had an erection. He gasped when he felt Stan’s thumbs press on his inner thighs, closing his eyes.

“S-Stan…”

“Officer Marsh.”

“O-Officer Marsh…” Kyle bit his lip, Stan looked so hot at that very moment. “You should… You should stop…”

“That is not gonna work, thief.”

“I-It’s not a trick, please stop.”

“I’m not gonna stop.”

Stan’s hands reached his hips and he stood up, that relieving some of the pressure Kyle felt. Stan looked at his face, Kyle seemed to be blushing? It was increasingly hard to control himself. His hands kept going up but this time they slipped under Kyle’s shirt, his hands gently going up his torso. He could feel Kyle trembling beneath his fingertips, waking up inside of him an animal instinct he had only felt with Wendy.

“Kyle…”

Kyle opened his eyes, that he hadn’t even noticed he had closed, seeing Stan’s face uncomfortably close to his own.

“D-Dude…”

“Kyle… I’m so sorry…”

“Sorry for what?

“I… need to… I need to do this. I need to know.”

“To know what? Do what?”

“Please, don’t hate me for this.”

Stan cupped Kyle’s face, looking at his eyes for a moment before kissing him. Kyle’s breath caught in his throat again, it took his brain a couple of seconds to process that Stan was kissing him. As soon as it did though, it disconnected, eagerly kissing him back. Stan wrapped his arms around Kyle, pressing his bodies together, little sparks of joy going through his body. Kyle’s leg went up around Stan’s hip, trying to pull him closer. Their lips separated for a second and they looked at each other’s eyes, but they met again equally anxious to taste more of the other. Kyle’s tongue unconsciously darted out to touch Stan’s lips. Stan didn’t hesitate and parted his lips, his tongue meeting with Kyle’s. 

They both let out a little moan as they made out, the rest of the world erased from their minds. Stan’s hands went down and grabbed Kyle’s ass, the redhead gasping into the kiss. His legs were starting to feel uncomfortable from being on his tippy-toes and they went up, wrapping around Stan’s hips. Stan used his hold on Kyle’s ass to help hoist him up. Stan pressed his body more into Kyle’s, letting out a low growl as they rubbed together. Both of them could feel the other’s erection against their own. 

Stan started grinding, enjoying each of Kyle’s little moans lost in the wet kiss they were sharing. His right hand moved to the front of Kyle’s body, the redhead’s skin hot beneath his touch. His hand went a bit lower to cup Kyle’s erection above his pants, a shiver going up his back when he felt the hard flesh in his hands. He needed more. He felt a little scared but he had gone too far to stop now. He didn’t want to back down. His hand slipped inside Kyle’s pants, grabbing a hold of Kyle’s erection. His arousal went way up when he heard Kyle’s pleasured whine, his hand rubbing up and down to get more of those sounds, more of that feeling.

Kyle’s hips started thrusting into his hand, something that only made Stan feel hornier, wet sounds surrounding them as he jerked Kyle off. Kyle’s dick felt hard and hot in his hand, and Stan started pumping faster, wanting to make him feel good. Kyle’s pants filled the room, his hips moving in sync with Stan’s hand, he didn’t know if it was the position or the fact that it was Stan touching him but he already felt close. Precum was oozing out of him but that only seemed to make Stan’s hand go faster. Kyle threw his head back bumping against the wall, some tears appearing at the corner of his eyes from trying to hold his orgasm when he was feeling so good.

Stan wrapped his free arm around the redhead to keep him close; Kyle didn’t quite understand what was happening, or why, but he didn’t want it to stop. Stan slowed down a bit to take a good look at him, his thumb rubbed against the head every time his hand went up making Kyle squirm in pleasure. He started going faster again, he could feel the redhead’s body tensing up, getting closer to his climax. Kyle gasped and looked down, he felt about to come, but Stan grabbed his chin making him look forward. 

“Look at me, Kyle… I want to see your face when you cum.” Stan kissed him again, this time shamelessly playing with his tongue. “I want you to see only mine…”

“S-Stan…” 

Kyle opened his eyes, seeing Stan’s blue eyes intensely looking at him. He couldn’t hold it anymore and his hips shot forward with a loud moan, his climax hitting him hard. His back arched in pleasure, Kyle could see only white as he slowly came down from his orgasm. Stan bit his lip, watching Kyle’s face change from surprised pleasure to pure ecstasy, making him feel even more fired up. He kissed Kyle’s neck, loving the little mewls the other made. Kyle finally opened his eyes again. 

“Stan, my arms…”

“Shit, yeah, sorry.”

Stan raised him enough for the hook to come out of the chain, Kyle’s arms falling around Stan’s neck, feeling tired. Stan held him in place, Kyle still hanging onto him with his legs around Stan’s hips. After a few seconds of heavy breathing, Kyle moved his face enough to capture Stan’s lips again, their kissing much slower now.

“Stan… You’re still hard…”

“I-I know. It’s okay.”

“Wait, let me…”

Kyle unwrapped his legs from around Stan’s hips, raising his handcuffed hands above Stan’s hands to free him. He grabbed the front of the uniform the other was wearing and gently turned them around so it was Stan who had his back against the wall. His hands went down his torso and he started unbuckling the belt the other was wearing, his eyes never leaving Stan’s.

“Dude, you don’t- you don’t have to.”

“I know.”

Kyle got down on his knees, the handcuffs restricting his movements a bit but still lowering his pants easily enough, Stan’s erection bouncing up as it was freed. Kyle swallowed to ease the dryness in his mouth and looked up at Stan. Stan’s face was visibly red, covering his eyes with an arm. That made things easier for Kyle, not being observed allowing him some freedom. He licked his lips to wet them and grabbed Stan’s erection, licking the head. Stan gasped but didn’t stop him.

Feeling encouraged, Kyle ran his tongue up the length, gently sucking on the head. Stan let out a little whine, biting his lip. He preferred not looking at Kyle or he would finish way too fast. Kyle parted his lips and took him into his mouth, testing how far he could go. He couldn’t quite reach the end so he used his fingers to grab the base.

As soon as Kyle started bobbing his head, Stan’s knees buckled and he felt completely against the wall. He knew he wasn’t going to last whether he looked at Kyle or not. He had been too long without intimate contact and Kyle wasn’t having any mercy. 

“O-Ooh…”

Wendy was good but Kyle… Kyle was way too good, showing a level of skill that Stan didn’t expect from the redhead and that he was fully experiencing at the moment. The way he sucked when he went up, the way he used his tongue, that little tug at the base every time he reached the head. It was too much, too intense for Stan to resist. He normally lasted at least 10 minutes, sometimes more, but this time he didn’t make it to five.

“Ky-y-ah!”

With no warning, Stan came with a loud moan and Kyle paused for a second and decided to swallow, slowing bobbing his head to milk Stan completely until he felt him start to soften.

“Ugh…”

Kyle moved to sit with his back against the wall, Stan slid down falling right next to him. After a minute of breathing and silence, Sant finally looked at Kyle, who was absent-mindedly looking in front of him. When feeling his best friend’s eyes on him, Kyle slowly turned to meet his eyes. Neither of them wanted to speak first but Kyle had too many questions racing through his mind.

“Stan…? What…”

“I’m sorry, I… I’ve wanted to do that for a while…”

“You said you needed to know. To know what?”

“If I could.”

“So… this was like… an experiment…?”

“I guess…”

“I see.” Kyle looked in front of him again, playing with the hem of his sleeves. “Thanks for choosing me. I suppose.”

“That was not a choice, dude. It had to be you.” Stan reached out to take one of Kyle’s hands, making him look up at him again. “It could only be you. It happened _because_ of you.”

“Stan…”

They stayed there for a while, silently holding hands. At some point, their fingers started playing until there were both smiling, often stealing glances at each other. As the sun kept hiding behind the mountains and darkness covered the class, they finally decided to call it a day. They gathered everything that Stan had laid out and put it on the trunk of his car. Kyle reactivated the alarm and they got on the car, setting off for Kyle’s home.

“So… What now?” Stan asked feeling a bit nervous. 

“I don’t know.” Kyle bit his lip, still unsure what this all had meant. “What was this?”

“I… Well, I don’t have the right to tell you who you should or shouldn’t be with. But, if you… I mean…”

Kyle waited patiently for Stan to gather his thoughts, feeling anxious.

“I don’t want this to be like… one isolated incident? I know it doesn’t come at the best time, but…”

“But?”

“I don’t want you to do these things with David. I don’t want you to be with him.”

“You want me to break things off with him?”

“It should be me.” Stan stopped in front of Kyle’s house, turning to look at him with a serious face. “It should be me.”

“Stan…” Kyle’s heart was beating like crazy. When the other mentioned David he couldn’t help but feel guilt, thinking about the Mexican for the first time in the whole afternoon. But he also knew that he would drop everything and everyone if Stan asked him to. “That will not be an easy conversation…”

“You will do it then?”

“Are you sure about this? You have not been drinking, have you?”

“… No, Kyle. My head is more… clear now than it has ever been.”

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

Stan smiled and leaned over, kissing Kyle’s cheek. Kyle smiled too at the tenderness of the gesture, opening the car door.

“It’s not going to be easy, I need to look for the proper moment. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

Stan took off and Kyle went into his home, going straight to his room. Ike asked him if he was okay when they crossed in the hallway but Kyle gave him a quick ‘yep’ and kept walking. He closed the door and leaned against it, his heart still beating too fast. Had that really happened? He could still feel Stan in his mouth. Especially the taste.

He covered his face with his hands, trying to calm down. He just couldn’t believe it. Stan wanted him to break things off with David. To be with him? Kyle wasn’t sure if Stan was just curious or if he actually had feelings for him, but it was at least something. It was more than he had even dared to hope for. Now the question was, how was he going to tell David…? The Mexican had gone through enough lately, he needed to think on the best way possible to do this. Stan wasn’t going through a good moment either. And they didn’t really seem to like each other. For some reason, David blamed Stan for what happened to him, Kyle was worried about what the Mexican might do when Kyle told him about what happened.

He took off the eye mask and the beanie, the baggie with the fidget spinner falling to the ground. Look at that, he had won the game. He had forgotten all about it. He dropped on the bed, his mind a confused mess. He had never been in such a situation before, having two guys at the same time that wanted to be with him. Fuck, not even one guy actually wanted to be with him for more than one night. It hardly mattered. Because one of them was Stan, and nothing else mattered. 

He suddenly heard a tapping noise and looked towards the window, seeing a familiar face smiling at him behind the glass.

-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> During this, I lost 'the Game' a couple of times. If you know what I mean (so it also happened to you, at least now) I have three things to say: You're old, I'm sorry, and I love you.


	17. Monday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Four days, I made it :D
> 
> It's my last day of holidays sadly so I'm not sure when the next chapter will be, I wanted to make sure I left one more.
> 
> That said, let's take a look at how things went the day after the game.
> 
> _

The next day Stan woke up feeling better than he had in a while. He took a quick shower, got dressed, and was happily munching on a toast when he got a text, making him frown. It was from Kyle, telling him to not go pick him up but pick up Cartman instead because he was coming back to school. Stan sent ‘??’ as a reply but didn’t get any answers.

A bit unsettled, he did as was he was told. He stopped to pick up Kenny and then headed to Cartman’s, telling Kenny about the text on the way. Kenny didn’t know what to make of it either. As soon as Cartman got on the car, both boys focused on him, asking him what was wrong with him and how could he do something like that.

“What’s wrong with me?” asked Cartman raising an eyebrow towards Stan. “Nothing’s wrong with me, I was just doing what I was told.”

“Bullshit! I didn’t tell you to do that!”

“Yeah, you did.”

“Not that! You went too fucking far Cartman, David was kicked out of his home.”

“Mmh… Yes, I admit his parents reacted way worse than I anticipated.”

“Worse than you anticipated?” asked Kenny raising an eyebrow from the backseat.

“Well, I thought it would get him in trouble, probably get grounded until next year. But oh well.”

“Oh, well? Cartman!”

“What? As I said, I was just doing what I was told.”

“Stop saying that.” Growled Stan with a frown. “It’s not true.”

“Doesn’t really matter what we think though. Does it?”

Stan shot him a questioning look but they had arrived at school and his priority right now was finding Kyle. As soon as they crossed the doors he spotted the redhead, quietly standing between Tweek and David. The group had spotted them too though, and as soon as they did Craig made a beeline for the brunette.

“YOU!”

The others quickly followed, Cartman looked surprisingly calm, even when Craig got up in his face with a menacing look.

“Good morning, Craig.”

“Good morning? That’s all you wanna say before I punch your fucking face in?”

“Oh, is that what you're gonna do? Are you sure?”

“Am I sure? Dude, my fist is going so far up your ass, I'll be able to help you floss.”

“Wait! Wait, wait, wait…”

To the surprise of everyone present except Cartman, Kyle put himself in the middle, shielding Cartman. Craig looked him up and down in confusion for a second, but it didn’t distract him for long.

“Step aside, Kyle. If I have to punch him through you, I will.”

“Hold on a second. I know how you feel, okay? I really do, I wanna kill him myself. But I know better than anyone what a bad idea it is, especially in school.”

“The fuck are you talking about?”

“It seems worth it, but believe me, it’s not. He’s not.”

“Kyle, are you serious right now?” asked David, watching the scene with shock. “I don’t care if I get in trouble, I think I have the right to kick his sorry ass.”

“You do! More than anyone here. But I don’t want you to get into worse trouble because of this fucking asshole! And he WILL get you in trouble, I can promise you that.”

“So what?”

“So that’s exactly what he wants. It may seem like the satisfaction will be enough, but it won’t. The only one who wins in this is him.”

“I don’t—”

“Please…” Kyle gently grabbed David’s wrist, trying to not look away from David’s eyes despite being extremely aware that everybody was looking at him. “Please, papi…”

That made David actually rethink it. He had never heard Kyle call him that in public. He often did when they were alone, and David was more than okay with the pet name Kyle used, but it was something he always did in private. To hear him say it there, in front of people, made him realize how desperate Kyle must have been feeling, even if he didn't know why. 

“… Fine.”

“WHAT?!” Craig wasn’t convinced though, and turned to David in complete shock. “Fuck that! I’m gonna punch him to next week!”

“He’s right, that pendejo is not worth making the situation worse.” David patted Craig on the shoulder, nodding towards the hallway. “Let’s just go, I don’t wanna give him any more of my time.”

David started walking away, Token and Clyde following him. Craig was giving Cartman a death stare over Kyle's shoulder, jaw clenched in anger. Tweek softly grabbed his arm, trying to pull him away.

“Craig… Come on…”

Eventually, slowly, Craig started to turn away, begrudgingly following Tweek down the hall. Kyle turned to Cartman, pointing a menacing finger at his face.

“Listen to me, fatass. I’m not your bodyguard. If you go provoke them, that’s on you.”

“Papi?” asked Cartman with a grin, ignoring the warning. “You really are a slut, aren’t ya?”

“You mother fu-“ Kyle’s fist went up but Cartman’s grin only got wider.

“Don’t do it, Kyle.”

“ARGH!”

With a scream of frustration, Kyle turned with a huff and made his way down the hall, getting as far from Cartman as he could. It took Stan a second to react but when he did he quickly followed the redhead. In that whole time, Kyle hadn’t looked at him a single time. The anger seemed to be boosting his speed and Stan caught him when he was already at his locker.

“Hey, dude! That was close, uh.”

“Hey.” It sounded angry and short, Stan reached out to touch his arm but Kyle dodged it with a quick move.

“Everything okay?”

“What do you want.”

“Em… talk to you, say good morning…?”

“Good morning. Now leave me alone.”

Kyle finished what he was doing and closed the locker, walking away without even looking at him. Stan frowned and grabbed his arm, turning him around to force him to look at him. Kyle finally did, and it was not a good look.

“Dude, what the hell? Did something happen…?”

“A lot of things happened, apparently.” Kyle pulled free, looking away again. “Just leave me alone, okay? I don’t wanna see you right now.”

“Why?!”

The bell rang and Kyle walked away again, Stan deciding not to chase him this time. What the Hell had happened? Everything was so great the day before. He looked around and saw that he was almost alone, everyone going to their respective classes. He started running to his own, trying to think of a plan to catch Kyle again and get some answers.

At recess he tried to hurry but he couldn’t find him at the locker. He made his way outside and looked over at the group, but Stan didn’t see him there either. Where was he? Was Kyle actually avoiding him? Cartman didn’t seem to be there either. Then he noticed, neither was David. Kenny and Butters seemed to be missing too. What the Hell was going on? He scanned the yard until he located a very familiar head of red, curly hair. Kyle! He took a step forward but he noticed that the redhead wasn’t alone. He and David had gone to the farthest part and were sitting down on the ground, talking to each other. It didn’t seem like a happy conversation. Defeated, Stan sighed and sat down on the stairs. He was dying for a drink. Or a cigarette, at least.

“You okay, dude?” Someone patted him on the back and Stan looked up seeing Kenny. Kenny saw Stan’s face and sat down next to him. “Wanna tell me what’s going on?”

“Yeah…”

Stan told Kenny everything he hadn’t yet, how he went to David’s house to apologize and they ended up arguing, how he was furious and stopped by Cartman’s house. How he started ranting and didn’t even remember what he said, and that’s what Cartman was talking about that morning in the car. Then he told him about the game. About how he had the random idea to ‘tie Kyle up’ to do the pat down. How he lost control. How Kyle paid him back. He told Kenny everything that had happened up to that moment. When he was finally done, Kenny stayed silent, mulling everything over.

“So… what do you think…?”

“Wow.”

“Yeah.”

“What are you gonna do now?”

“I don’t know… I mean, I need to talk with Kyle, that’s for sure. I just don’t know how to get him to talk to me. What do you think happened?”

“Well, it could be many things. I can think of… like… three possibilities. Good for you, none.”

“What are them?”

“Let’s just talk about number three. You said he seems angry at you, right? So, obviously, something happened.”

“Must have.”

“Didn’t you say it was Kyle who told you to go pick Cartman up instead of him?”

“Yeah?”

“So, Kyle knew that Cartman was coming back today. I assume that Cartman told him. Maybe this morning, maybe last night after you dropped him off at home.”

“I guess…”

“That doesn’t bode well for you. I mean, he can’t stop repeating he was following your orders every time he’s prompted. If they talk, I assume that first thing that came out of Kyle’s mouth is the word ‘Why’, don’t you think?”

“That’s what I was afraid of. Do you really think he told Kyle…?”

“That’s the safest bet, yes. So, you’ve got two options. One, you can try and convince Kyle that Cartman is lying, which I would not recommend.”

“And two?”

“It’s Kyle, dude. He’ll forgive you. But you need to come clean, no bullshit.”

“I really should, shouldn’t I…”

“Yes, yes you should. Man, if you two were a little more honest with each other, I swear.”

“Ugh… I do not look forward to this…”

The bell rang and they got up, saying their goodbyes. Stan didn’t share any classes with Kyle that day, and the only moments that Stan did see the redhead it was always with David, so it became obvious that he wouldn’t be able to talk to him as long as they were in school. When the final bell rang he left the school but sat down near the entrance. He knew Kyle had extra classes and by the time he was done, everybody else would have gone home. With no David and no people around, it seemed like the right opportunity.

He popped a cigarette into his mouth and took out his phone, deciding to play some games until Kenny came out. He would drive him home and come back and wait in the same spot. He would wait in the car but he didn’t want to miss Kyle if he got distracted. He couldn’t really do it though, when he noticed someone was standing right in front of him.

“Hey, you!”

“Mmh?” Stan looked up to see David frowning down at him and for a brief second, he wondered if Kyle had actually left him and the Mexican was going to confront him about it. “What?”

“What the fuck did you do?”

“What are you talking about?” Stan stood up, feeling uncomfortable under the other’s stare.

“What happened yesterday? In that game or whatever.”

“Nothing…?”

“Bullshit. He’s really upset today and when I asked how it went he said he didn’t wanna talk about it. It doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together.”

Stan bit lip, if he had to be honest he was dying to tell the Mexican what really happened at the game, to let him know that Kyle wasn’t his. He knew though that if he did that Kyle would never forgive him. However angry he was now would be nothing in comparison. He didn’t know how to answer, what could he say? What Cartman told him? Fortunately for him, Craig and Tweek had followed David and the Tweek spoke up and broke the tension like an angel fallen from Heaven.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about it. Stan hasn’t spent that much time with Kyle lately but we have. For the last month I’ve heard non-stop that Cartman’s ass was gonna be kicked, both from Craig and Kyle. I’m sure you have too.”

“Yeah, so?” asked David directing his attention at the blond.

“Isn’t it weird that the day he finally comes back, Kyle prevents that from happening? When I asked him about that he answered the same thing, ‘I don’t wanna talk about it.’ I think Cartman has threatened or blackmailed him in some way. I think whatever has Kyle so upset probably happened after the game, and I think it comes from Cartman, not Stan.”

The others stayed silent for a few seconds until David spoke up.

“That only makes me wanna kick his ass even more.”

“Mmh…” Stan thought about it. He had been so focused on Kyle being angry at him that he had forgotten that morning’s incident. The redhead was even more angry at Cartman, why had he protected him? Had Cartman really threatened him?

“If that’s true he’s a pussy.” Grumbled Craig unsatisfied but having no counterarguments.

“No.” said Stan firmly, the words out of his mouth before he even realized he had said them. “Every time Cartman has done this and Kyle has obliged which whatever bullshit he wanted it wasn’t because Cartman was threatening _him_ , he was threatening something Kyle really cared about or considered very important.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know, like… The integrity of democracy or peace in the middle east. Important shit. I don’t think Cartman is threatening Kyle personally, I think he’s threatening with doing something even worse.”

“Something worse?” asked David raising an eyebrow. “What the fuck could be worse than what he did?”

“Oh, it’s Cartman.” Said Stan grimly “I don’t even wanna imagine, who the fuck knows…”

“I agree…” Tweek softly tugged a strand of his hair in thought, turning to Stan. “Do you think you can find out? It not like one of us can just go have a chat with him.”

“I don’t know… We’re not on speaking terms either. And of course, neither is Kenny. I will try though, I’ll let you know if I find out anything.”

David and Craig looked at each other, turning to leave with a ‘Fine, whatever’. Tweek gave him a little wave and a smile before following the others.

“Thank you Stan, see you tomorrow.”

Stan waved back, thanking God for Tweek. This could’ve gone so wrong. He checked the time, he still had almost an hour until Kyle left, maybe he could pay Cartman a little visit. He was still waiting for Kenny though. Just as he was going to call him, the blond came out the doors.

“Hey, Ken! What took you so long?”

“Sorry dude, I was looking for Butters. I couldn’t find him though, I hope Cartman isn’t doing anything to him.”

“Speaking of which….”

They went towards the car, Kenny taking the passenger seat.

“I was thinking, could we drop by his place, see if he’s back?”

“Why?”

“Well… You know how Kyle protected him this morning? Tweek thinks that he’s blackmailing him with something, asked me if I could find anything out.”

“Yeah, that was weird… I don’t think he will tell us though.”

“Me neither but I feel like I should at least try. And get some info about why Kyle is pissed at me.”

“Did you talk to him yet?”

“No, didn’t have the chance. I’m gonna go back to school after I drop you off and wait for him to come out of class.”

“Dude, he didn’t go.”

“What?”

“Yeah, we shared last period and he bolted out of there as soon as the bell rang. He wasn’t really focused and he said he was going home.”

“Seriously?! Oh shit. Em… Okay, em…”

“Go.”

“What?”

“Go. I’ll wait in the car in case he doesn’t wanna talk to you, I can try. We can go to Cartman’s after.”

“Oh my God, thank you. Are you sure?”

“Yeeees, I’m sure, just go so you two can talk already.”

“Going, going.”

With new purpose Stan stepped on the accelerator a little, soon after stopping in front of Kyle’s home. He left the keys on and told Kenny to make himself at home, unsure if he was going to stay a while or he wouldn’t be able to cross the door. He got off the car and took a deep breath, going to the front door. With all the confidence he could muster, he rang the bell. After a few seconds, Kyle’s mother opened the door but Ike, who was sitting on the couch saw him and went to the door gently pushing his mother aside.

“I’ll take this one, mom.” As soon as his mother left Ike stared at Stan, leaning on the doorframe and crossing his arms. “Hey, Stan.”

“Hey, Ike. Is… Kyle home?”

“Maybe. I don’t think he wants to talk to you though.”

“Okay, so you know… What do you know?”

“I know you’re a jerkface.”

“Come on…”

“Fine.” Ike sighed but didn’t change his position. “I know you lied to him about something and he’s very upset about it. I know Cartman was here last night, they argued for a while. They didn’t really raise their voices so I don’t really know about what but Kyle didn’t look okay after his visit.”

“Shit… Can I go talk to him? Please, Ike.”

“… What are your intentions with my brother?”

“What?”

“Answer.”

“Dude, you’re not his dad.”

“Do you _want me_ to go get my dad so you can answer to him instead?”

“What? No! I- Shit.”

“I’m waiting.”

“Okay, okay! I… well, right now my intention is to talk to him and try to fix this mess. Happy?”

“Do you love him?”

“What the…?” Stan frowned but Ike was serious. “Don’t you think that’s personal?”

“Do you wanna go up or not?”

“Fine! …Yes. I think I do, yes. Look, I’m just trying to make things better, okay? I promise.”

Ike stared at him for a few more seconds and slowly stepped aside, letting Stan enough room to pass. Stan thanked him and made his way up the stairs, inhaling deeply and letting the air out as slowly as he could to calm himself. He knocked on the door and waited for an answer. When he heard the quiet ‘Come in’, Stan stepped into the room, finding Kyle sitting cross-legged on the bed. The redhead looked up and gasped, clearly not expecting him.

“Stan? What are you doing here?”

“Hey… I was a little worried about today. Are you okay?”

Kyle didn’t answer and looked away and out the window instead.

“Cartman came here yesterday, didn’t he? What did he do?” Stan carefully approached the bed, sitting on the side. “Is he threatening you with something, is that why you defended him?”

“How could you…” Kyle finally talked and turned to look at Stan, it wasn’t hard for Stan to see the anger and hurt in his green eyes. “How fucking could you?! I could expect something this low from Cartman, but you? What’s wrong with you?”

“I…” Stan mentally thanked Ike for giving him a heads up, knowing what to expect. “I assume you’re talking about David…”

“Yes, I’m talking about David!” with a grunt Kyle pushed him off the bed making Stan fall on his ass on the floor. “What were you thinking?!”

Stan stood up and rubbed the sore spot, he had forgotten to keep in mind Kyle’s short temper and his instinct to hit when angered.

“W-Wait a moment. I don’t know what Cartman told you, I can imagine because he’s been trying really hard to pin this on me. But it’s not true okay, I didn’t tell him to do that.”

“Shut up!” Kyle stood up, going around the bed to face him, his voice gradually getting louder. “David told me that you had something to do with this, that it came from you, but I said nooo, Stan wouldn’t do that.”

“I wouldn’t! I know you’re angry but please, listen to me…”

“Of course I’m angry! I DEFENDED YOU! Every fucking time!”

“Would you please listen?!” Stan raised his hands in what he hoped was an appeasing gesture. “Don’t you want my side of it?”

“I have your side already. Cartman made sure of it.”

“What do you mean…?”

Kyle’s voice had gone down again but it didn’t lose that tint of anger. He went towards his backpack, which seemed to have been dropped unceremoniously in a corner of the room, and knelt down in front of it. A couple of seconds later he got up, his phone in hand. Without a word he tapped on it for a bit and held it up, an audio starting to play.

_‘That motherfucker! HOW DARE HE!’_

Loud pacing could be heard, making it even more obvious that the person talking was very mad. Even if he didn’t quite recognize that voice, Stan correctly guessed it was his own. 

_‘Argh! I wanna make him pay. I wanna… I wanna hurt him!’_

_‘What are you gonna do?’ said a voice that sounded like Cartman’s, much closer to the microphone._

The audio finished there and the room was filled with silence. Stan was thinking about what to say, cutting the recording there really made it look like it all came from him. Kyle approached his desk and dropped his phone there with a sigh.

“We all know the answer to that, don’t we.” Kyle’s voice sounded more defeated than angry now, and Stan walked towards him slowly.

“No. That’s not how the conversation ended, Kyle. My answer was ‘I don’t know’.”

“Just ‘I don’t know’? No, I don't buy it. I _am_ smarter than that. You lied to me, Stan. I asked you directly if you knew something and you said you didn’t. You fucking lied to me.”

“Not just that, you’re right…” Stan took a deep breath, vaguely hearing Kenny’s words from that morning in the back of his mind. He had to come clean, no bullshit. “Literally, my answer was ‘I don’t know! You’re the evil one, you do something!’ So… I guess I did tell Cartman to do something to David. To hurt him in some way. I’m sorry I lied to you, Kyle… I was scared of this moment so much… I just… I didn’t have the balls to say the truth. But I swear to God, I did not tell Cartman to do this. I would’ve never imagined he would do something this serious.”

“It’s fucking Cartman! What did you think he was gonna do?”

“I don’t know! Shit on his door? Or shit on the restaurant floor to lower the rating at the most, I don’t know. Some inconvenience to make me feel better. I never imagined he would do this.”

“I… I don’t know, Stan…”

“Ky, please… It’s the truth… I was so angry and said a lot of shit, but I never told Cartman to do something like this. ” Stan cupped Kyle’s face with his hand, touching the redhead’s forehead with his own. “You have to believe me…”

Kyle softly pulled away and pinched the bridge of his nose, having one of those moments where he realized he was in love with a dumbass. But he knew Stan wasn’t a bad person, he honestly believed Stan would never do something this fucked up. And he knew Cartman was. Despite being a huge idiot, Cartman could be incredibly cunning and manipulative.

There was something that had been bothering him since the previous night. If Stan had given him an express order, why hadn’t Cartman shown him that? He had only heard a few lines that certainly made it _look_ that way, but not the actual words.

Something like that wouldn’t hold in court because those lines didn’t prove that Stan had told him to do that, but it could help sway a jury to think that way. Kyle was slowly realizing what Cartman’s plan was. He knew that if he said it and showed that audio, people would believe it had come from Stan, whether it was true or not. But there was another detail that Kyle had kept in the back on his mind, recent events keeping it too busy to think about.

The photos. According to David, what Cartman did was show his parents photos of them at Token’s lake house. If this had originated from Stan’s anger, why were the photos taken, weeks before that moment? Was Cartman waiting for the right moment to use them? Was he waiting for an excuse? Had Cartman been planning this? Kyle couldn’t tell how much of this was planned and how much was opportunism, but Cartman did have those photos for a reason, and it came from way before Stan and David had the argument.

“Ky…?”

“I believe you… I really don’t think you knew what Cartman was going to do. I just don’t understand… why? Why did you go to Cartman? To Cartman, of all people.”

“Well… He was the only one available and I really needed to blow off some steam. It was not a deliberate decision, I just happened to be walking by his house at that moment of anger.”

“Why were you so angry in the first place? I’ve… almost never heard you so mad before. What the Hell did you and David say to each other?”

“I said nothing, I went there to apologize. Craig took me there to apologize, to be more accurate. But David… I guess he was still mad about the previous night. Not that I blame him, but… He started saying things to set me off and… You know.”

“What? What could he possibly say to enrage you like that.”

“He said… you know, stuff.” Stan shrugged his shoulders, not really willing to remember those things. “Stuff about you.”

“About me? Like… bad stuff?”

“No, not bad… Just… explicit.”

“Oh.” Kyle frowned, crossing his arms and leaning on the desk. “Well, that’s distasteful.”

“It was. It really was.”

“Why would that set you off so much though? I understand if you felt… disgusted or whatever, but still…”

Stan bit his lip, considering for a moment how honest he should be here. The only thing he was sure about is that he didn’t want to lie to Kyle again.

“Because… he wasn’t trying to make me feel disgusted. He was trying to make me jealous. And he succeeded.”

“Jealous…? Is that what you meant yesterday? When you said you had been thinking about it for a while?”

“… Yeah. So… I wanna ask you the same thing I did yesterday. What now?”

“I don’t know, Stan…”

“Are you going to leave him?”

“I… No…”

“What! Why not?”

Kyle bit his thumb in thought as Stan’s heart started beating faster, Kyle changing his mind was the worst possible outcome he could think of.

“If Cartman showed that audio… He’s reserving it for the time he wants something, or wants to do more damage, I have no doubt. If that happened, it would be your ass getting massively kicked.” Stan nodded, the mere thought of everyone believing it making him feel sick in his stomach. “And of course, he’s gonna say I knew about it.”

“So you’re worried about what people will think?”

“No. I’m worried about how David will feel. Stan, I care about David. Very much. I may not be in love with him but he’s someone very dear to me. Cartman knows that.”

“So?”

“Imagine being in David’s situation if that happened. He gets kicked out of his home for being gay, by parents he was close with, then he fights with the person he’s with, then he gets dumped, then… he finds out that he was right and I knew about it?”

“But I didn’t do it, he’s _not_ right!”

“That’s not what he’ll believe, at least not easily. He already thinks it was you, if he gets any shred of evidence… How would you feel?”

“Pretty betrayed, I guess…”

“Exactly. I can’t do that do him. But…” Kyle grabbed Stan’s wrist, squeezing slightly. “Goddamnit…”

Stan looked at his face, he could see the conflict and the stress. He was very familiarized with Kyle’s morals and obstinance to do what he thought was right. Especially if it was something or someone he deeply cared about, which it seemed to be the case. He wasn’t going to leave David as long as he thought it would harm both Stan and David. But it was okay.

Stan didn’t feel rejected, he felt confident. He knew now that if Kyle had the choice, he would choose him. He wasn’t sure how much but he knew that, at least in some measure, Kyle returned his feelings.

It was time to stop wallowing in self-pity and take responsibility for his own actions. He knew what happened to David was wrong and undeserved, and even if he didn’t make it happen himself, he wasn’t going to let the situation keep hurting Kyle. It was time to move and do what _he_ considered to be the right thing.

“I’m going to fix this.”

“There is nothing you can do, Stan.”

“I’ll find something. I don’t know what, but I’m going to fix this.” Stan smiled and leaned down, kissing him. “I promise.”

Kyle nodded without a word and Stan gave him a short kiss, waving him goodbye. As he made his way outside, Ike looked at him from the sofa, and Stan gave him a thumbs up before leaving. As soon as he saw his car he remembered he had left Kenny in it. The blond was smoking with the window rolled down, playing with his phone.

“Hey, you took a while.” Kenny said when he got in. “I take it you guys did talk.”

“Yes, thank God. He’s not angry with me anymore.” Stan took off, heading to Kenny’s house. “I promised I would fix the situation.”

“Pff, man, good luck. How do you plan to do that?”

“I have no idea. Ken, I’m gonna need your help. What about we pay him a visit? Ask him to delete the audio?”

“The audio?”

“Yeah, he has an audio.”

“No way that’s gonna work, dude.”

“We can at least try. Offer something in return?”

“If he actually wants something, it’s not gonna come cheap. But sure, let’s try, why not. We were planning on going there anyway.”

“Oh, yeah. Awesome.”

Stan turned to go back to the street he just left to stop at Cartman’s this time. On the way, he told Kenny about Cartman recording him during the rant and cutting a piece of that to make an incriminatory audio. In less than five minutes, they were at the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, the 'My fist is going so far up your ass, I'll be able to help you floss.' is an actual line from Craig in the Fractured But Whole game. I freaking love Craig.


End file.
